 has said it is concerned about the fungus for three main reasons. First, it is "often multidrug-resistant" with some strains resistant to all three available classes of antifungals. Second, it is "difficult to identify with stand laboratory methods" and can be easily misidentified, which could lead to inappropriate treatment or management. And thirdly, it has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings, which can spread rapidly. When Candida auris was first spotted spreading, CDC medical epidemiologist for the mycotic disease branch Meghan Marie Lyman said cases were linked to people who had travelled to the US from other locations. Now, she said, most cases are acquired locally. IIn the US there were 2,377 confirmed clinical cases diagnosed last year, 2022. That represents an increase of more than 1,200 per cent since 2017. In Europe, a survey last year found cases nearly doubled from 2020 to 2021. In March, a CDC press release noted t){kind=link}
Candida auris has been spreading rapidly throughout the US, and the rest of the world, with potentially deadly consequences due to its difficulty to diagnose and resistance to many antifungal treatments
Fears are growing over a dangerous and deadly fungus which is spreading at an alarming rate, particularly in healthcare settings, and is proving resistant to traditional treatments.
Back in 2016, hospitals in New York State identified a rare and potentially lethal final infection never before seen in the US. Researchers found it had been present in the country since at least 2013, with the infection first found in humans only four years prior, in 2009.
Candida auris can cause severe illness and has an estimated mortality rate of anywhere between 30 and 60 per cent, with particular risk in healthcare settings or for people with underlying serious medical problems. Due to the severity, rapid spread, and resistance to treatment, it’s been marked as a globally emerging public health threat.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said it is concerned about the fungus for three main reasons. First, it is “often multidrug-resistant” with some strains resistant to all three available classes of antifungals.