An Alarming Fungal Infection Is Spreading Across America... and Resisting Meds
Story by Tim Newcomb • Yesterday
An infectious fungus is spreading at an alarming rate across healthcare facilities in the United States. Here's what you need to know.© KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY - Getty Images
The fungus isn’t a hazard for healthy people, but for those who are sick or staying in healthcare facilities, the danger is mounting.
C. auris has proven resistant to current antifungal medications.
Just what we all want to hear: an infectious fungus is spreading at an alarming rate across healthcare facilities in the United States. That’s the latest news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which warns that Candida auris is on the move across the country, and that cases that proved resistant to antifungal medicine have tripled.
It all adds up to “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat.”
Video Cheddar News CDC: Deadly Fungus Spreading at an 'Alarming Rate' in U.S. Hospitals
Story by Tim Newcomb • Yesterday
An infectious fungus is spreading at an alarming rate across healthcare facilities in the United States. Here's what you need to know.© KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY - Getty Images
The CDC says the spread of Candida auris is an “urgent threat” for those in healthcare facilities.
The fungus isn’t a hazard for healthy people, but for those who are sick or staying in healthcare facilities, the danger is mounting.
C. auris has proven resistant to current antifungal medications.
Just what we all want to hear: an infectious fungus is spreading at an alarming rate across healthcare facilities in the United States. That’s the latest news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which warns that Candida auris is on the move across the country, and that cases that proved resistant to antifungal medicine have tripled.
It all adds up to “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat.”
Video Cheddar News CDC: Deadly Fungus Spreading at an 'Alarming Rate' in U.S. Hospitals
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“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,” CDC epidemiologist Meghan Lyman says in a paper on the subject.
The C. auris spread started with the first report of the fungus in 2016. And while C. auris does not generally pose a threat to healthy people, those who are very sick, using invasive medical devices, or frequently staying in healthcare facilities are at risk for catching the fungus. Infections can be severe and, unfortunately, the fungus carries with it a high death rate.
Calling it a “global threat,” the CDC says the concern over C. auris is mainly due to its multidrug-resistance, the fact that it's difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and that it has led to outbreaks in healthcare settings.
Clinical cases have increased every year since 2016, with the most rapid rise in case load occurring from 2020 to 2021. In 2021 alone, over 1,450 clinical cases were reported, and the increase in case counts continued for 2022. The CDC says the count of additional cases could have jumped due to poor general infection prevention and control practices in healthcare facilities, but may also be due to enhanced screening efforts to detect cases, even when signs of an infection or symptoms aren’t present.
The CDC believes the spread could have been worsened by the strain that the COVID-19 pandemic has put on healthcare and public health systems.
“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,” CDC epidemiologist Meghan Lyman says in a paper on the subject.
The C. auris spread started with the first report of the fungus in 2016. And while C. auris does not generally pose a threat to healthy people, those who are very sick, using invasive medical devices, or frequently staying in healthcare facilities are at risk for catching the fungus. Infections can be severe and, unfortunately, the fungus carries with it a high death rate.
Calling it a “global threat,” the CDC says the concern over C. auris is mainly due to its multidrug-resistance, the fact that it's difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and that it has led to outbreaks in healthcare settings.
Clinical cases have increased every year since 2016, with the most rapid rise in case load occurring from 2020 to 2021. In 2021 alone, over 1,450 clinical cases were reported, and the increase in case counts continued for 2022. The CDC says the count of additional cases could have jumped due to poor general infection prevention and control practices in healthcare facilities, but may also be due to enhanced screening efforts to detect cases, even when signs of an infection or symptoms aren’t present.
The CDC believes the spread could have been worsened by the strain that the COVID-19 pandemic has put on healthcare and public health systems.
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