Fungicidal effects of eight disinfectants against resistant Candidozyma auris (formerly Candida auris), Aspergillus fumigatus, and Trichophyton indotineae.

UNLABELLED: Disinfectants are widely used in hospital environments to control bacterial, viral, and fungal hospital-acquired infections. In recent years, nosocomial infections caused by drug-resistant fungi, such as Candidozyma auris, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Trichophyton indotineae, have posed an increasing transmission risk among patients and healthcare workers, making treatment more challenging. Although many disinfectants are routinely applied in hospital settings, data on their efficacy against drug-resistant fungi remain limited. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal efficacy of eight disinfectants against these three species of drug-resistant fungi, including aldehyde-, alcohol-, chlorine-, iodine-, and peroxide-based formulations. Using minimum fungicidal concentrations, all disinfectants exhibited fungicidal activity against the three fungi at appropriate concentrations; however, when tested at the manufacturer-recommended working concentrations using a quantitative suspension test in the presence of 0.3% bovine serum albumin as an organic interferent, only five disinfectants produced a ≥5 log10 reduction in viable organisms within 5 min of exposure. Comparative analysis further revealed that a commercial benzalkonium chloride solution (Meifute solution) and peracetic acid exhibited particularly strong potential for the rapid elimination of these drug-resistant fungal pathogens.

IMPORTANCE: Disinfectants are primarily developed against bacteria and viruses; there are no dedicated fungicides for use in hospitals, especially for drug-resistant fungi. This study aimed to identify the best disinfectant among those already labeled as having fungicidal attributes for eliminating drug-resistant fungi, to address disinfection and infection control in medical institutions.