The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sounded the alarm earlier this week over the recent, rapid spread in health care facilities of a drug-resistant fungus that can cause deadly infections in immunocompromised individuals.
First discovered in 2009, Candida auris, or C. auris, has now been found in over half of US states. The number of infections rose 59 percent between 2019 and 2020 — and again by 95 percent in 2021 — to a total of 1,471 recorded cases, according to a paper released Monday.
While the fungus usually doesn’t pose a risk to healthy people, it is a risk to patients who are already very ill, particularly those in nursing homes and who have breathing tubes, feeding tubes, catheters, or other medical devices inserted in their bodies. Between 30 and 60 percent of people infected with the fungus have died, but that is based on a limited number of patients, and it’s unclear whether the fungus or another medical condition caused their death.
Candida auris seems to increasingly resist typical antifungal treatments called echinocandins. While researchers are trying to develop a vaccine targeting Candida auris and other common fungal infections, we’re years away from that potentially becoming a reality. For now, public health officials are focused on stopping the spread, which is difficult given just how persistent the fungus can be: It can spread person to person, living in their skin and body, but also via surfaces that it colonizes, such as furniture in a patient’s room, where it is resistant to many common disinfectants.
“It’s very sticky. It’s hardy in the environment,” said Scott Roberts, associate medical director of infection prevention at Yale School of Medicine.
How to prevent Candida auris from spreading
Roberts said that public health policy needs to be centered on improving lab infrastructure and screening protocols so that cases can quickly be identified and reported.
“The key is really being able to…
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