Ottawa doctors and nurse practitioners are being asked to voluntarily report newly identified Candida auris colonization cases to Ottawa Public Health starting July 1, as Ontario expands its surveillance of the organism for the final six months of 2026.
The request came in a June 24 memo from Ottawa Public Health, addressed to physicians and nurse practitioners in the city and signed by Dr. Laura Bourns, deputy medical officer of health.
What the province is asking
According to the memo, Ontario's Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued a memorandum on enhanced surveillance for Candida auris, a fungus also known as C. auris. From July 1 to December 31, 2026, the province will broaden its surveillance activities to include colonization cases, not just infections.
The Ministry of Health is asking health system partners to voluntarily report newly identified C. auris colonization cases to their local public health unit, the memo states. Ottawa providers would report to Ottawa Public Health.
Colonization refers to people carrying the organism on their body without necessarily showing symptoms of infection.
The provincial memorandum also includes recommendations and guidance on screening and on infection prevention and control practices, according to the memo. OPH is directing local clinicians to the linked document for detailed information.
What it means for local practice
For Ottawa health care providers, the change means that when screening identifies a patient as colonized with C. auris during the six-month window, that case should be passed along to the local public health unit on a voluntary basis.
The memo arrived Tuesday, giving local practices roughly a week to review the provincial guidance before the expanded surveillance period begins.
No cases or local figures are mentioned in the memo, which focuses on the reporting process and the supporting guidance.
