There’s a new and dangerous fungus spreading rapidly through healthcare facilities in the United States. This drug-resistant fungus, known as Candida auris or C. auris, is especially concerning as it can cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems. According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people diagnosed with infections and carriers of C. auris has been skyrocketing at an alarming rate since it was first reported in the US. Published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the study found that the percentage of clinical cases grew each year, with a staggering 95 per cent increase in 2021 alone. Additionally, the number of screening cases and colonizations has increased significantly, highlighting the need for improved detection and infection control practices to prevent its spread.
Dr Meghan Lyman, the study’s lead author, and chief medical officer in the CDC’s Mycotic Diseases Branch expressed her concern over the increases. “We’ve seen increases not just in areas of ongoing transmission, but also in new areas,” she was quoted as saying by NBC.
What’s even more worrisome is that C. auris cases have been found to be resistant to first-line therapies, which are essential for treating invasive Candida infections, including C. auris. This calls for urgent action and a need for improved screening and infection control measures to help prevent further transmission and protect the health of patients and healthcare workers.
The number of cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by health departments, along with the quantity of colonization screening and antifungal susceptibility outcomes, were collected and analyzed together to examine changes over time and in different geographic regions.
As of December 31, 2021, a total of 3270 clinical cases and 7413 screening cases of C auris were reported in the United States. The proportion of clinical cases increased every year, ranging from a 44 per cent increase in 2019 to a 95 per cent increase in 2021. In 2021, there was a significant increase of over 80 per cent in colonization screening volume and over 200 per cent in screening cases. Additionally, 17 states identified their first C auris case between 2019 and 2021. In 2021, the number of C auris cases that were resistant to echinocandins was approximately three times that of each of the prior two years.
The study found that the significant rise in echinocandin-resistant cases and evidence of transmission is particularly alarming, as echinocandins are the primary treatment for invasive Candida infections, including those caused by C auris. These findings underscore the urgency of implementing better detection and infection control measures to prevent its spread.
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