The ominous spread of a deadly fungus is causing widespread alarm in U.S. healthcare facilities. According to an official government report, Candida auris, also known as C. auris, is a type of yeast that is drug-resistant and can cause severe illness in people with weakened immune systems. This fungus has been spreading rapidly and linked to a rising number of infections and carriers, according to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study’s lead author, Dr. Meghan Lyman, expressed grave concern about the situation. She warned that the fungus is not only spreading in areas of ongoing transmission but also in new regions.
Deadly Fungal Infection Sweeping Across U.S. Healthcare Facilities, CDC Warns
The CDC’s new warning, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, comes as the Mississippi Department of Health battles a growing outbreak of the fungus. In recent months, at least 12 people have been infected with C. auris in Mississippi, and four of them have died. The state’s epidemiologist, Dr. Paul Byers, explained that multi-drug resistant organisms such as C. auris have become more prevalent among people in long-term care facilities, which are high-risk environments.
The fungus can be found on the skin and throughout the body, and it poses a significant threat to people with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals are not at risk, about one-third of people who become sick with C. auris die.
CDC Sounds Alarm Over Deadly Candida Auris Fungus Outbreak
The CDC report analyzed health department data from 2016 to 2021 and found that the number of infections increased by 59% in 2020 and by an additional 95% in 2021. Additionally, the number of people colonized but not infected by the fungus increased by 21% in 2020 and 209% in 2021.
C. auris has now been detected in over half of U.S. states, indicating that the fungus’s spread is a significant and growing threat to public health. Healthcare facilities and government agencies must take swift and effective action to prevent further outbreaks and mitigate the potentially devastating impact of this deadly fungus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's report on the rapidly spreading Candida auris has raised concerns among the healthcare industry. The drug-resistant fungus, responsible for severe illness and death in immunocompromised individuals, is being diagnosed in increasing numbers, including those who have been identified as carriers without showing symptoms. In the most recent years, the rise in cases is an alarming cause for concern. Dr. Meghan Lyman, lead author of the study, hopes that the report will encourage healthcare providers to practice good infection control and take notice of C. auris.
Despite the worrisome findings, Dr. Waleed Javaid, an infectious disease expert, urged the public not to panic. The fungus is most likely to affect severely ill individuals with invasive medical devices, such as catheters. It is not a threat to healthy people, and even if it were to spread outside healthcare facilities, it would not be an issue for those without underlying medical conditions.