Candida auris: An emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat –CDC
Healthcare facilities in several countries including the UK, United States, Japan, Venezuela, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Oman, Kuwait, Israel, South Africa and Spain have reported that C. auris has caused severe illness in hospitalized patients.
- Some strains of C. auris are resistant to all three major classes of antifungal drugs [including the first-line anti-fungal drug fluconazole.] This type of multidrug resistance has not been seen before in other species of Candida.
- Also of concern, C. auris can persist on surfaces in healthcare environments and spread between patients in healthcare facilities. [CDC]
C. auris was first identified in Japan eight years ago. The first case in Britain was detected in 2013, and has since spread to at least 200 patients in 55 UK hospitals.
On July 14, 2017, the US case count was updated to 98 across nine states, with a total of 68 cases in New York, and 20 in New Jersey.
- The superbug is linked with bloodstream, wound and ear infections (otitis).
- Several strains of C. auris appear to be rapidly evolving.
Public Health England (PHE)
“As at the beginning of July 2017, 20 separate NHS Trusts and independent hospitals in the United Kingdom had detected over 200 patients colonised or infected with Candida auris,” PHE said.
“Three hospitals have seen large nosocomial [within hospital] outbreaks that have proved difficult to control, despite intensive infection prevention and control measures, though two of these outbreaks have been declared over and one is seeing significantly fewer numbers of new acquisitions.
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