Aug 18, 2026
Candida auris is a drug-resistant fungus that has spread through hospitals and long-term care facilities, where it causes infections that are hard to diagnose and hard to treat. If you or someone you care for may have been exposed, an at-home PCR test offers a straightforward way to find out.
This guide covers what C. auris infections are, who's most at risk, and how the available testing options, including at-home PCR compare.
Candida auris (C. auris) is a species of yeast, one of many candida species, but it stands apart from more familiar ones like Candida albicans for three reasons—it resists multiple antifungal drugs, can spread easily in healthcare settings, and has a 30%-60% mortality rate. Patients are often asymptomatic when infected as well.
C. auris can cause serious, invasive infections in the bloodstream, wounds, ears, and internal organs, particularly in people who are already unwell or have weakened immune systems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks C. auris as an urgent public health threat, with case counts rising during periodic outbreaks such as the ongoing 27-state outbreak of July–August 2026.
As standard lab tests like blood culture can sometimes misidentify this fungus for its related Candida species, getting the right test for C. auris matters.
C. auris symptoms are easy to miss, with the CDC noting there's no common symptom set for C. auris, as the signs depend on where the infection occurs. However, the most common signs are a fever and chills that don't improve with antibiotics, suggesting the cause isn't bacterial but is rather a type of fungal infection. It may also show up as a urinary tract infection, a wound that won't heal, an ear infection, or, in the most serious cases, a bloodstream infection.
These symptoms usually aren't enough to confirm C. auris on their own, which is why a lab test is the only reliable way to get real answers. Nick Sanford, PhD, MicroGenDX's VP of Medical Affairs says:
We've detected C. auris 49 times so far this year, compared with
19 over the same period in 2025. This doesn't mean the organism is spreading faster, but it is likely the result of greater awareness among healthcare providers, more screening of at-risk patients, and broader adoption of accurate molecular testing. Better detection means faster, more targeted treatment, making it one of the best tools we have for infection control and against antimicrobial resistance.
Sanford notes that this pattern could help explain a broader trend, as recent reports suggest the overall rate of increase in C. auris cases has slowed since 2022, even as detections rise.
The good news is that C. auris is not a general-public threat. Risk is concentrated among people in healthcare settings. According to CDC data, people without these risk factors rarely become colonized or infected. You're in a high-risk group if you (or someone you're caring for) has any of the following. If one applies, a Candida test is a reasonable, proactive next step:
Testing is straightforward, and you don't need a hospital or clinic visit to do it. At-home testing makes it possible to screen for C. auris from wherever you are. Here's how the MicroGenDX at-home test works:
| PCR (our test) | Traditional culture | |
|---|---|---|
| Turnaround | As fast as 24 hours after receipt by lab | Days to weeks |
| Test accuracy | Reliably detects C. auris; 89–100% sensitivity, 90–100% specificity | Can misidentify C. auris as another Candida species or miss it entirely, esp. at low sample levels |
| Detection | Direct from genetic material | Requires organism to grow |
| Performance after antifungal treatment | Not affected | Can underperform |
| Reliability across sample types | Consistent | Varies by where sample is taken |
| Where you test | At home | Clinic/hospital lab |
For a patient trying to get answers, the accuracy gap between PCR and culture shapes treatment direction and infection control response, which may widen exposure to others.
Culture performance is known to drop sharply in situations where testing is most needed:
PCR bridges these gaps, reliably catching true positives with a low risk of false positives, meaning you're less likely to be told you have C. auris when you don't and the opposite as well. Published validation studies of PCR testing for C. auris report 89–100% sensitivity and 90–100% specificity, meaning the test finds the fungus when it's present and, just as importantly, doesn't flag it when it isn't.
Standard mycology labs often require fungal cultures to be held for up to 28 days before a final negative result can be issued because some fungal species grow very slowly. It is not a useful timeline for determining if a patient is infected by C. auris.
qPCR testing can deliver results with high positive and negative predictive values in a clinically useful timeframe, which is a key reason I think we are seeing increased adoption of rapid and reliable molecular testing.
Our Candida auris PCR test is $60, and that price includes prepaid shipping in both directions. The kit is also FSA/HSA eligible, so patients can cover the full cost using healthcare funds they've already set aside.
If you've searched for a candida test near you, most results still point to labs that require an in-person visit. At-home testing removes that step, which is especially useful for people recently discharged from a hospital and for caregivers who've learned of a possible exposure and need answers quickly. If you or someone you look after is at risk, testing sooner gives you the clearest picture and a faster path to care.
Order the Rapid Candida Auris test now.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms, risk factors, or test results.
Yes. The Candida auris test is meant for at-home sample collection without a clinic visit. You collect the sample yourself using the kit that's sent to you, send it back with the prepaid label, then you'll get your results in as little as 24 hours after your sample reaches the lab.
Symptoms are often nonspecific and depend on where the infection occurs, but commonly include a fever or chills that don't improve with antibiotics, a UTI, a wound that won't heal, an ear infection, or in more serious cases, a bloodstream infection.
PCR is more accurate because it detects the fungus's DNA directly, rather than waiting for the organism to grow in a culture. Studies show PCR reliably identifies C. auris and rarely returns false positives, while culture performance is less consistent and varies by sample type.
Testing makes the most sense for people with healthcare-related risk factors like a recent hospital or ICU stay, an invasive device, recent surgery, a weakened immune system, or a known exposure at a healthcare facility. It's also for caregivers of people who fit that profile.
If your concern is chronic or recurring symptoms rather than a specific C. auris exposure, a broader Candida test may be a better fit. Our Rapid Candida Panel tests for multiple Candida species at once, including C. albicans.
Start by ordering the kit online; self-collect your sample at home using the provided materials, and ship it back with the prepaid label. No lab visit required. Results are available in as soon as 24 hours after our lab receives your sample.
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