Deadly Fungus Spreads Across US; Agencies Puzzled

New Delhi: A mysterious and deadly fungal infection called ‘Candida auris’ is spreading its tentacles across the USA at a rapid speed, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracking the fungus informed. Notably, the World Health Organization last year listed C auris as one of 19 fungal priority pathogens.

The multidrug-resistant yeast was first identified in Japan 15 years ago. It infected as many as 2,377 people in the US in 2022, according to the Wall Street Journal. New research by the CDC published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that in 2021, the health centres in the country reported a 95 per cent increase in cases between 2019 and 2021. For comparison, the fungus had only infected 53 people in the US in 2016, agencies reported.

A total of 28 states and the District of Columbia have confirmed reporting the infections – suggesting the current safety measures were not effectively helping tackle the fungus.

How harmful is the fungus?

Both WHO and CDC have labelled the fungus as a growing threat to public health as it has a mortality rate of up to 60 per cent. *
People who are old or have compromised immune systems are particularly more vulnerable after contracting the fungus.
It causes bloodstream wounds and ear infections and has also been found in urine and respiratory samples, but it’s not clear if the fungus actually infects the lung or bladder.
Not only does this yeast cause serious illness in patients but it is also hard to identify without the proper tests.

“Specialised laboratory methods are needed to accurately identify C. auris. Conventional laboratory techniques could lead to misidentification and inappropriate management, making it difficult to control the spread of C. auris in healthcare settings,” said CDC in a circular.

A 2022 study stated that the fungus had spread to more than 30 countries since its first sighting in 2009.

“The reported interregional spread as well as regional endemicity in one country show that C. auris is in the process of establishing itself as a healthcare-associated pathogen in the EU/EEA, similar to other countries such as the United States,” read the report.

CDC has attributed the rapid rise of yeast infection to the reuse of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical equipment in crowded hospitals due to COVID-19, according to reports.

A class of antifungal drugs called echinocandins is used to treat most C. auris infections. However, in some cases, the fungus is known to have shown extreme resistance to all three main classes of antifungal medications, making them more difficult to treat.