The American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in a press release Monday, March 20, of the dangers of the potentially deadly fungus Candida auris, which is spreading at an “alarming” rate in the United States.
There was talk of an “urgent threat”. The potentially deadly Candida auris fungus is of particular concern because of its rapid spread across the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which alerted the public in a press release Monday.
“The rapid increase and geographic spread of cases is worrying and underscores the need for continued surveillance,” CDC epidemiologist Meghan Lyman said in a statement Monday.
The fungus Candida auris, considered an “urgent threat of antibiotic resistance,” has spread at an “alarming” rate between 2020 and 2021, according to the American organization.
Cases that have tripled in a year
This fungus, first reported in the United States in 2016, affected 476 people in 2019, up from 1,471 in 2021, representing clinical cases where the infection was present. In terms of screening cases where the fungus is detected but does not cause infection, they tripled between 2020 and 2021 to a total of 4,041.
The press release explains this increase in cases by a parallel increase in screening tests during the Covid-19 period, which sheds more light on the extent of the infection. In addition, paradoxically, the number of Candida auris cases has also increased due to poor general infection prevention and control (IPC) practices in healthcare facilities.
“For healthy people, C. auris is generally not a concern. People who are very ill, carry invasive medical devices, or have long or frequent visits to healthcare facilities are at increased risk of contracting C. auris.
Nonetheless, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Candida auris as one of four fungal pathogens with “Critical Priority” for public health.