According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fungus Candida auris is posing a greater threat to public health care as the number of drug-resistant cases increased in 2021. This information was released on Monday.
Despite the fact that the fungus is resistant to a number of antifungal drugs, the CDC reports that it is not considered to be a danger to healthy individuals. Despite this, the national agency in charge of public health considers C. auris to be an immediate hazard because of the organism’s resistance to treatments. Those who are already unwell, who use intrusive medical equipment, or who have lengthy or frequent stays in health care facilities are at a greater risk of developing severe illnesses and even passing away.
According to the CDC, this estimate is “based on information from a limited number of patients,” although it ranges from around 30 percent to 60 percent of those who have been infected with the yeast and have died as a result.
According to CDC epidemiologist Dr. Meghan Lyman, “the rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control.”
Candida auris has been documented in over 30 countries, and in 2016, it was discovered for the first time in the United States. According to the CDC, there have been 3,270 confirmed cases of fungal infection in the United States through December 2021, and 7,413 screening cases where the fungus was present but not causing sickness over the same time period.
It is possible for it to spread from one person to another, as well as via contact with infected surfaces.
According to the CDC, there may be a lack of prevention, inadequate control procedures in health care institutions, and improved attempts to identify cases, all of which may have contributed to the rapid rise in the case count.
The yeast may be recognized by analyzing samples taken from body fluids; nevertheless, the CDC is concerned about it since it is more difficult to differentiate from other types of yeast and may be misdiagnosed, which would make it more difficult to control.
