Key TakeawaysCandida aurisis a multidrug-resistant fungus that is spreading through healthcare facilities.People who are very sick, have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities, or have invasive medical devices are at the highest risk of getting aC. aurisinfectionHealthy individuals don’t have to worry about contracting C. auris.
Key Takeaways
Candida aurisis a multidrug-resistant fungus that is spreading through healthcare facilities.People who are very sick, have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities, or have invasive medical devices are at the highest risk of getting aC. aurisinfectionHealthy individuals don’t have to worry about contracting C. auris.
Candida auris (C. auris)is a dangerous fungus that’s spreading through healthcare facilities at an “alarming rate,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency recorded a total of 4,041 cases ofC. aurisin 2021, tripling the case counts from the year prior.
C. aurisis often resistant to manyantifungal drugsand it can be challenging to diagnose,but it’s not yet a threat to healthy individuals.People who are immunocompromised, stay in long-term care facilities, or rely oncentral venous cathetersor feeding tubes are at the highest risk of getting aC. aurisinfection, according to the CDC.
“There’s really no evidence that it’s out in the community affecting healthy people,” saidRichard R. Watkins, MD, an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University.
While the risk of community spread remains low,C. aurisis a deadly fungus for patients who have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities. Around 30-60% of patients infected withC. aurishave died, according to limited data from the CDC.
More Drug-Resistant Fungi Are Growing From Excessive Antibiotic Use
What Are the Symptoms of a Candida Auris Infection? Why Is It Hard to Diagnose?
“You can’t really diagnoseCandida aurisjust on symptoms. There’s not one specific sign or symptom that a doctor could say, ‘you have that, then that means you haveCandida auris’,” Watkins said.
C. aurisinfections are usually diagnosed with ablood culturetest, which allows providers to determine if certain bacteria or fungi are in the blood. ButC. aurisis harder to identify than other types ofCandida.
“Initially, whenCandida auriscame into our health care systems, it was difficult to diagnose because it wasn’t part of testing. Now many of the labs do have diagnostic tests available to be able to determine specifically if a bloodstream infection would be due toCandida auris,” saidJeniel Nett, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine and medical microbiology and immunology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
These tests aren’t perfect and they can miss cases ofC. auris, Nett said. Results can also take up to two weeks to be delivered from the lab to the healthcare provider.
Even ifC. aurisis correctly identified,treatment optionsare limited. Nett said she’s seeing close to 90% resistance to fluconazole, one of the most common antifungal drugs used in healthcare settings.Other medications are available, but scientists are still learning how to best treat this infection sinceC. aurisseems to be growing more resistant to anti-fungal treatments rapidly.
“The few drugs that can be used have higher toxicities and side effects than the kind of the regular treatments and unfortunately, it’s very rare, but there have been cases where there are no drugs that work,” Watkins said.
How Can You Avoid Candida Auris?
Experts are still learning exactly howC. aurisis transmitted, but it seems to spread from contact with an infected person or a contaminated object or equipment.
“Candida aurislives in the environment,” Watkins said. “It can live on people’s skin, and if you have an indwelling device for a while, it can become colonized and then get into the bloodstream.”
C. auriscan stay on a patient’s skin without causing infections. Proper hand hygiene is the main way to reduce the spread, but many healthcare facilities are taking extra precautions for higher-risk individuals. Providers may use different gloves and gowns for these patients or even put infected patients in a different room.
For now, experts say that healthy people don’t need to be too concerned about contracting an infection.
However, Watkins said that better therapies and treatments forC. aurisneed to be developed and people should do what they can to stay healthy so they don’t increase their risks of exposure.
“I would encourage everyone to get a COVID booster, get a flu shot because you don’t want to get admitted to a hospital,” he said. “In general, it’s affecting people who are immunocompromised but if you’re in the hospital and you have an IV line, we know that you are at increased risk forCandida.”
What to Know About Fungal Infections
What This Means For You
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.General information about Candida auris.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris: a drug-resistant germ that spreads in healthcare facilities.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris testing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment and management of C. auris infections and colonization.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris information for patients and family members.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.General information about Candida auris.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris: a drug-resistant germ that spreads in healthcare facilities.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris testing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment and management of C. auris infections and colonization.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris information for patients and family members.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.General information about Candida auris.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris: a drug-resistant germ that spreads in healthcare facilities.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris testing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment and management of C. auris infections and colonization.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris information for patients and family members.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.General information about Candida auris.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris: a drug-resistant germ that spreads in healthcare facilities.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris testing.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment and management of C. auris infections and colonization.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candida auris information for patients and family members.
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