Candida auris, a dangerous and highly resistant fungus, worries authorities in the United States

It sows panic in hospitals and stirs anxiety across the Atlantic. Many reputed media outlets, as Western FranceA scary mushroom is currently growing at a “big V” pace in the United States, worrying officials.

So much has been released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A statement Monday, March 20, in which they sound the alarm: Candida auris has been growing at an “alarming rate” for three years and may be considered an “urgent threat.” “Nationally, medical cases have increased from 476 in 2019 to 1,471 in 2021. […] The rapid increase and geographic spread of cases is concerning and underlines the need for continuous surveillance.

This fungus is very resistant to treatments. “Some strains are resistant even in rare cases to all antifungal drugs available on the market”, to add Huffington Post.

“High Mortality Rate”

If it does not pose a serious risk to healthy people, Candida auris can be dangerous to already debilitated patients. “Invasive infections are associated with high mortality, mainly due to multiple comorbidities seen in infected or colonized patients”, The High Council of Public Health explains.

The HCSP recalls that the fungus was discovered in Japan in 2009 and has since “experienced epidemics in several countries spanning 5 continents, notably the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States and India. Important.” In France, at the last assessment in July 2019, only six cases had been identified.