Fungus – The world has been grappling with the lingering effects of Covid-19 after it ushered in a global pandemic, shifting life to a new normal with new perspectives.
While things have slowed down, other health crises have emerged, mainly from fungi.
Years earlier, a severe fungal infection was identified in the United States.
Although it is common for scientists to discover new fungi, the strain has been proven to be resistant to treatment.
The fungus was only found in a few screenings when it was first discovered.
Since then, the number of people diagnosed with infections has increased.
The news
According to new government studies, the drug-resistant and potentially deadly fungus has been rapidly spreading through US healthcare facilities.
The fungus, a yeast variant called Candida Auris or C. auris, causes severe illnesses in people with weak immune systems.
The number of people diagnosed and those found through screening carrying the fungus has risen alarmingly since it was first discovered in the US in 2016.
Dr. Meghan Lyman, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s chief medical officer, said the recent increases have been especially concerning.
“We’ve seen increases not just in areas of ongoing transmissions but also in new areas,” said Lyman.
Warnings
The CDC issued its latest warning in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
It also comes as the Mississippi Department of Health is facing a surging fungus outbreak.
According to Mississippi epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers reported that around 12 people had been infected with Candida Auris since November, with about four potentially associated deaths.
There has also been ongoing transmission at two long-term care facilities.
However, cases have also been found across several other facilities in the state.
“Unfortunately, multi-drug resistant organisms such as C. auris have become more prevalent among our highest risk individuals, such as residents in long-term care facilities,” said Byers.
The fungus
The CDC reported that the fungus could be found on the skin and throughout the body.
They also said that the fungus does not threaten healthy people, noting that only a third of people who get sick with Candida Auris die.
According to the CDC report, researchers analyzed state and local health department data on people affected by the fungus from 2016 through December 31, 2021.
They also analyzed people who were “colonized” – people who weren’t sick but carrying the fungus on their bodies and had the potential to transmit it to vulnerable people.
Read also: Fungal infections are growing rapidly in 2023
Infections
Researchers found the incidence of people not infected with the fungus but colonized increased in 2020 by 21% compared to 2019.
There was also a 209% increase in 2021, a 4,041 increase that year compared to 1,310 in 2020.
The latest study found that Candida Auris has been detected in more than half of the United States.
It was especially concerning how the number of fungus samples resistant to common treatments is increasing.
Lyman is hopeful that the new paper would give more attention to Candida Auris and put it on the radar of healthcare providers, spurring facilities to exercise “good infection control.”
The threat
According to epidemiologist, infectious disease expert, and director of infection prevention and control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York Dr. Waleed Javaid, the new findings are very concerning.
“But we don’t want people who watched ‘The Last of Us’ to think we’re all going to die,” said Javaid, referring to the hit video game adaptation of the massive video game.
“This is an infection that occurs in extremely ill individuals who are usually sick with a lot of other issues.”
According to Javaid, even if the fungus moves from healthcare facilities to communities, it is unlikely to create a problem for healthy people without invasive devices like catheters inserted into their blood vessels.
Instead, the biggest problem is keeping the fungus from colonizing people who come into contact with it and patient rooms.
“By its nature, it has an extreme ability to survive on surfaces,” said Javaid.
“It can colonize walls, cables, beddings, chairs. We clean everything with bleach and UV light.”
Discovery
The fungus was first discovered in Asia in 2009, but scientists determined that Candida Auris initially appeared worldwide a decade earlier.
According to Dr. Graham Snyder of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, experts re-examined older data, discovering instances where Candida Auris was mistaken as a different fungus.
“It’s the pattern we’ve observed with these types of pathogens,” said Snyder.
“Often they start out extremely rare, then they emerge in more and more places and become more widespread.”
Snyder noted that it’s essential to stop the pathogen from spreading outside hospitals and long-term facilities like the drug-resistant bacteria MRSA.
“It’s not unusual to see MRSA in the community now,” said Snyder.
“Will that happen with C. Auris? I don’t know. That’s partly why the CDC is raising the alarm.”
