Spread of Drug-Resistant Fungus in the US

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Highlights:

• Candida auris is a fungus that poses a risk to hospitalized patients
• As the fungus has developed resistance to antifungal treatments, infection with it can be fatal
• The fungus has been found in half of the 50 states in the US and is on the rise, with some states like Nevada, California, and New York having the highest number of infections

Health experts are following a fungus that is growing at an 'alarming rate' in American hospitals, putting thousands of sick patients at risk of potentially fatal diseases.

Who is at Risk of Candida Auris Infections?

While the majority of people who come into contact with Candida auris do not become ill, the fungus is a substantial concern to patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Patients who require breathing tubes, feeding tubes, or catheters are especially vulnerable to Candida auris infections, which are becoming increasingly difficult to cure.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30-60% of patients infected with this fungus died, however many had co-occurring conditions that raised their risk of mortality.

Drug-Resistant Candida Auris: A Challenging Fungal Infection

Candida auris is becoming increasingly harmful because an increasing proportion of infections recorded by the CDC are drug-resistant, which means they cannot be treated with standard antifungal medications. According to the data, the incidence of Candida auris cases with resistance to the standard therapy for the infection tripled in 2021.

Candida Auris Spread Across the United States: A State-by-State Overview

According to a recent CDC report, the fungus has been found in half of the 50 states and is on the rise in the United States as a whole. Yet, not all states face the same level of threat. Some places, such as Washington and Maine, have been virtually spared, while others, like California and Illinois, have seen an increase in new cases. The CDC has released many maps demonstrating which states require the most attention.

‘Deadly fungus Candida auris is spreading rapidly in the US, posing a severe risk to thousands of sick patients. Drug-resistant and difficult to cure, it is especially dangerous to vulnerable patients with breathing or feeding tubes.’

With 384 clinical cases last year, Nevada had the highest number of Candida auris infections of any state in 2022. Because the signs of Candida auris infection - fever and chills - can be explained by co-occurring disease, a specialized laboratory test is required to confirm the diagnosis.

In 2022, California, Florida, and New York had the greatest levels of Candida auris infections, in that order. Candida auris has been on the radar of US health officials since 2013 when the fungus infected a small number of individuals in Illinois, New York, and New Jersey. Since then, New York and Illinois have had some of the highest Candida auris cases counts in the country. Because these states have been dealing with the fungus for a longer period, health officials in these states may be more prepared to detect and identify it.

This map depicts the total number of Candida auris infections reported in the United States during the last decade. Since 2013, there have been 5,654 clinical instances of the disease in the United States.

Source: Medindia

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