US Health News: Candida Auris, Deadly Fungal Infection Spreading Rapidly, Experts Warn Against Strange Symptoms

A drug-resistant fungus, Candida Auris, is spreading across the United States at an alarming rate, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned. According to the latest report, the cases of deadly fungal infections have increased exponentially in the past few years. The agency recorded a total of 4,041 cases of C. auris in 2021, tripling the case counts from the year prior. The sudden surge in cases has also started to attract the attention of researchers and scientists, who are highlighting the high resistance that this fungus carries against echinocandins which is a highly prescribed and effective antifungal drug.

Calling the C.auris fungus an urgent threat due to its high resistance power to medications, the national public health agency (CDC) has said that the fungal infection can cause serious illness and death in people who are already sick, use invasive medical devices or have long or frequent stays at health care facilities. As per the reports, New York City and Chicago have the maximum number of cases of Candida auris fungal infection. What is this new threat? How does it spread and who is at risk of catching the fungal infection? Let’s know everything about the C. auris fungal infection.

What Is Candida Auris Fungal Infection?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the mortality rate ranges from 30% to 53% of patients affected by an invasive infection. The Candida auris fungus is often multidrug-resistant and some strains are also resistant to all three available classes of antifungals. The most deadly feature that this fungus carries is the high rate at which it can spread inside the body. As per experts, in some patients, this yeast can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, causing serious invasive infections.

What Happens After The Infection?

First identified in 1996, this dangerous drug-resistant fungus can cause infection in the bloodstream, wound infection, and severe ear infection. Some of the other symptoms of Candida auris infection can include — fever, chills, sweats and low blood pressure. The fungus mainly transmits through contaminated surfaces in hospitals. According to the CDC report, the fungus can live on surfaces for several weeks.