1 of 1 The fungus Candida auris seen through the microscope — Photo: GETTY IMAGES/BBC The fungus Candida auris seen through the microscope — Photo: GETTY IMAGES/BBC
Infection by Candida auris is spreading rapidly and “at an alarming rate,” says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
US cases nearly doubled in 2021: ab 756 for 1,471refers to the company’s report.
Healthy people are not at risk for fungalrelated complications. Candida aurisbut people with compromised immune systems or people using medical devices such as ventilators or catheters can suffer from more serious illnesses or even die.
In most infections diagnosed in American countries, the fungus has been resistant to available treatments.
For this reason, the CDC classifies the situation as an “urgent threat related to antimicrobial resistance.” Many affected patients are in hospitals and nursing homes.
One in three people with invasive Candida auris infections die, but estimating how this fungus affects patients at risk can be difficult, says epidemiologist Meghan Lyman, lead author of the CDC report.
The infection was first reported in the United States in 2016. The fastest increase in cases occurred between 2020 and 2021, according to data published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
Another cause for concern is the increase in cases that have become “resistant to echinocandins,” which is the most recommended class of antifungal drugs to treat Candida auris infections.
The CDC attributes the increase to a lack of preventive measures in health care facilities and improvements in followup and diagnostic services.
Another factor that the company says appears to have contributed was the strain on the healthcare system related to the Covid19 pandemic.
Lyman told CBS News that the increase in the number of people with the disease “underscores the need for continuous surveillance, as well as expanding laboratory capacity, creating faster diagnostic tests, and creating programs for infection prevention and control.”
It’s in Brazil?
Other countries are also seeing an increase in cases of candida auris.
Last year, the World Health Organization included it on its list of “priority fungal pathogens”.
At least three major outbreaks related to this microorganism have been identified in Brazil in recent years.
The most recent of these took place between December 2021 and March 2022 at a hospital in Recife, Pernambuco. At that time, nine people were affected.
The episode was the subject of a study by scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FioCruz) published in early 2023.
According to the researchers, Candida auris “requires great vigilance due to its high ability to form colonies and biofilms, which contributes to the spread of the fungus.”
“Fast and accurate identification of this species is essential to control, control and prevent infection,” the experts conclude.