Candida auris Outbreak – A Serious Global Health Threat
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have declared Candida auris – C.auris “a serious global health threat”. This drug-resistant superbug fungus has already taken down people in the USA with over 600 diagnosed infected. This rapid outbreak in the United States has risen a great deal of concern amongst the medical community.
Candida auris, targets beings who have a weak immune system and was first identified in 2009 and seen in the states in 2013. Since then, it has caused at least 587 illness in the U.S alone. Illinois had 144 affirmed cases, primarily from the Chicago area, and New Jersey had 104.
Candida auris spreads across rapidly from person to person unlike any other Candida species known till date. It can readily survive on surfaces after regular cleaning, making health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes the ideal breeding ground.
To make things worse, C. auris is commonly resistant to one, if not all, of the antifungal drugs that are available, making the disease highly difficult to treat. This amount of resistance hasn’t been seen in additional Candida species, and might have something to do with our present usage of antifungal drugs
, the CDC states.What kind of ailments does Candida auris cause?
Candida auris can cause unique types of infections, such as wound infection, blood disease, and ear disease. The fungus has also been detected in urine and lymph samples, but the CDC says it’s unclear if it causes bladder or lung infections.
Who all are at risk of getting infected from Candida auris?
Candida auris infections have been reported around the globe. It has been noticed that people who recently had any type of surgery, or are admitted in nursing homes, or who have central venous catheters, feeding tubes or breathing tubes seem to be at greatest risk.
How does Candida auris spread?
Health officials said that Candida species resides in our intestine microbiome. The strain Candida auris has bred in some health care settings, spreading to a person directly or via contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment. People with strong immune systems can carry the germ without getting sick from it.
How to identify if one is infected with Candida auris?
According to the CDC, symptoms of Candida auris may be difficult to detect since patients are often sick. The most common symptoms of invasive Candida infection is fever and chills that do not improve after antibiotic treatment.
The superbug can be identified by a laboratory test. Candida auris infections can be diagnosed by analyzing the culture of blood or other body fluids.
Are Candida auris infections treatable?
While most Candida auris infections are found to be curable with medications, health officials say they’re concerned that some have shown to be resistant to all three classes of antifungal medications. In such a situation, a high dose of multiple antifungal drugs is the only solution to take care of the
How frequently do the ailments turn lethal?
It can be hard to determine the cause of death since Candida auris infections generally occur in people who are sick with severe medical conditions.
Based on information from a restricted number of individuals, 30–60% of individuals with C. auris illnesses have expired as per CDC. However, most among them had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death.
Now the greater concern the medical community is anticipating is that if the spread of these superbugs is not restricted – it will lead to a global apocalypse.
The existence of the new, deadly fungus Candida auris has not been identified in any of the cases in India yet.
