Candida auris has Become An Emerging Menace on the Horizon

A retrospective analysis by bioMérieux Inc. revealed a concerning increase in the detection of Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungal pathogen, between 2021 and 2023. The detection rate of C. auris rose from 0.014% before October 2022 to 0.057% after October 2022.

The findings were presented at ASM Microbe 2023. The study utilized a proprietary blood culture identification panel and a cloud-based surveillance network to track C. auris infection rates geographically and over time. This highlights the ongoing threat that C. auris poses to public health in the United States ().

Candida auris Poses a Major Health Risk

C. auris poses a serious health risk. Approximately 50% of isolates resist both disinfection and multiple antibiotics. Thus, mortality rates are high when this organism becomes established in the bloodstream. First detected in the United States in 2016, the C. auris infection rate increased 95% by 2021.

Spread of Drug-Resistant Fungus in the US
Candida auris, a deadly and drug-resistant fungus, is spreading at an alarming rate in American hospitals, putting thousands of vulnerable patients at risk.

‘Detection of the drug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris increased significantly (0.014% to 0.057%) between 2021 and 2023, posing ongoing public health concerns. #Candidaauris’

The BioMérieux researchers analyzed C. auris detection rates in a United States cohort from 2021 to 2023 and found a significant increase in C. auris bloodstream infections in 2023 compared with infections in previous years.

“The study results confirm that we must continue to emphasize public health interventions under the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to meet the continuing challenge posed by antimicrobial-resistant C. auris and protect community health,” said presenting author Tristan T. Timbook, Director of Health Economics Outcomes Research, Global Medical Affairs, for bioMérieux. “The near real-time surveillance provided by TREND and the BIOFIRE BCID2 panel represent important tools for monitoring trends in C. auris infection.”

Reference:

Drug-Resistant Candida auris Infection Rates Continue to Rise - (https://asm.org/Press-Releases/2023/June/Drug-Resistant-Candida-auris-Infection-Rates-Conti)

Probiotic Yeast May Help Treat Drug-resistant Fungal Infections
A study by researchers at WPI and the Central Food Technological Research Institute in India shows that yeasts derived from food are effective in preventing infections and reducing the virulence of several Candida species.

Source-Eurekalert

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