A drug-resistant fungus, Candida auris, is spreading at an alarming rate in US healthcare facilities, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clinical cases in the country trebled from 476 in 2019 to 1,471 in 2021. The yeast-type fungus, first discovered in 2009, can cause severe bloodstream infections and has a mortality rate of 30% to 53% for invasive infections, as estimated by the World Health Organization.
Candida auris is often resistant to common antifungal drugs, making infections difficult to treat. Some strains are resistant to all available medicines, according to BBC health correspondent James Gallagher. The fungus spreads mainly through contaminated surfaces in hospitals, sticking to intravenous lines and blood pressure cuffs, and is hard to clean off, said Dr Neil Stone, a fungal expert at University College London.
Transmission is unlikely in daily life, but the risk is higher for patients in hospitals or nursing homes, especially those in intensive care or who have taken many antibiotics. The CDC reported outbreaks in more than 30 countries, with nearly 4,750 cases globally between 2009 and 2019. A 2019 study suggested that rising temperatures linked to climate change may have contributed to the increase in infections.
Identifying Candida auris is challenging, as it can be mistaken for other fungi, leading to incorrect treatment. Dr Tina Joshi, associate professor at the University of Plymouth, noted that resistance to drugs is the biggest problem. DNA evidence suggests resistance genes may have passed from the common Candida albicans to Candida auris. Experts warn that the fungus is a serious threat and should not be ignored.
