The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency has approved Medline’s new germicidal wipe designed to kill Candida auris on hard, non-porous surfaces, according to the company.
Medline’s Micro-Kill Bleach germicidal wipes have been shown capable of destroying the multidrug-resistant fungus, which can cause serious infections and death in hospitalized patients. Candida auris is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods and may be misidentified in labs without specific technology, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Misidentification may lead to inappropriate management, the CDC said.
The fungus was discovered in 2009 and has caused outbreaks worldwide, including in New York and Chicago.
“Candida auris has emerged as a new and alarming threat, and until now healthcare providers and environmental staff (EVS) had no proven tools to combat it. What we’ve shown with the Micro-Kill Bleach germicidal wipes is an effective way to disinfect hospital surfaces, where C. auris tends to be persistent in the environment,” said Medline director of clinical affairs Dr. Rosie D. Lyles in a news release. “Our goal is to take a proactive approach to combating this pathogen.”
