A highly contagious fungus (fungi) called Candida Auris is rapidly spreading in the United States.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control – CDC, shows the fungal infection which is also called C auris, has already caused killed about 7,000 people in America and 1.5 million worldwide, in 2021.
The CDC also says that it is uncertain whether the fungus strain is more deadly than other Candida infections. “A limited number of patients, 30–60% of people with C. auris infections have died. However, many of these people had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death.”
“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,” said lead author Dr. Meghan Lyman, an epidemiologist at the CDC.
According to the study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reports of Candida auris (C. auris), which is resistant to many antifungal treatments, have increased each subsequent year since it was first reported in 2016. Its most rapid rise was from 2020 to 2021.
Researchers were more worried that the fungus is resistant to echinocandins, the antifungal medication recommended for treatment, which tripled compared with the previous two years.
- Cases detected through screening tripled from 2020 to 2021, totaling 4,041.
- Cases that caused infection rose from 476 in 2019 to 1,471 in 2021.
- 17 states in the United States identified their first case of C. auris ever between 2019 and 2021.
People in healthcare facilities, both workers and patients have a higher risk of getting the fungal infection that infects the bloodstream and can cause death by affecting the blood, heart, and brain. It has a high mortality rate of 1 death in 3 patients.
Researchers also say Candida auris (C. auris) is difficult to identify without specialized laboratory technology and can easily be mistaken for other infections.
The fungus was first reported in Asia in 2009, and has quickly spread throughout the world. Cases in the U.S has increased by over 300% since it was first reported in 2015.
Symptoms of Candida Auris infection
According to the CDC, Candida Auris or C. auris does not always cause an infection or symptom and can be carried on a patient’s skin, allowing for easier spread.
However, when it causes an infection, it may be difficult to identify because it mostly occurs in people who are already sick with other diseases and exhibiting symptoms.
However, the CDC says fever and chills that don’t improve or go away after giving antibiotics are the most common symptoms of Candida Auris (C. auris) fungal infection.