“Alarming” spread of C. auris in the USA – that’s how dangerous the fungus is

In the USA, the yeast fungus is spreading White ears further for excitement. According to the CDC, the fungus has spread “at an alarming rate” across the country. The number of cases is therefore increasing continuously and rapidly.

The report did not include data from 2022, the CDC’s website currently shows 2,377 confirmed cases through the end of 2022.

The authority cites various reasons for the sharp increase in recent years: On the one hand, there are poorer infection prevention practices in health care facilities, but on the other hand there are also increased efforts to detect cases early, especially colonization screenings. These are tests to see if someone has the fungus somewhere on their body, but may not have any infection or symptoms. The timing of the strongest increase in 2020 and 2021 also suggests that the Covid 19 pandemic and the burden on the health system meanwhile caused the number of cases to increase.

Nevada delegation writes fire letter

The state of Nevada is hardest hit, especially the south. Since August 2021, more than 1,000 people have been infected with the fungus there, reports the “Las Vegas Review Journal‘ citing data from the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno’s School of Medicine. Almost 500 infected people had to be hospitalized, 100 of them died.

On Friday, the entire Nevada congressional delegation wrote a fire letter to the CDC. Their appeal: Do more to combat the potentially deadly fungus. The letter said the delegation remained concerned that the agency, while listing the fungus as an urgent threat, “has not yet developed a comprehensive plan to stop the spread of C. auris in Nevada and the more than 26 states who are now reporting infections.”

The Nevada State Health Laboratory has also found mutations in the fungus that correlate with drug resistance – the infections “not only will be more difficult to contain, but also increasingly difficult to treat,” the letter said. Additional federal support may therefore be needed to combat this outbreak.

The CDC confirmed receipt of the letter, but has not yet commented specifically on it.

Who is candida auris dangerous for?

The CDC had already classified the fungus as an “urgent threat” in 2019 and introduced a reporting requirement. The danger: The extremely stubborn pathogen is resistant to some antimycotics – drugs used to combat fungal infestation – and some disinfectants.

There is no reason for concern for the general public. In most of the proven cases, it is a so-called “colonization”, which means the fungus is detected somewhere on the body, for example in the armpits. In these cases no treatment is necessary.

However, Candida auris is dangerous for patients in intensive care units or people with a weakened immune system, for example due to certain previous illnesses. Namely, if the fungus enters a person’s body, it can cause serious illnesses. The fungus infects the bloodstream, can get into other organs such as the liver, kidneys, spleen or eyes, and also affects bones and the central nervous system. Candida auris can also cause sepsis, a so-called blood poisoning, in those infected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 29 to 53 percent of all infections in which Candida auris enters the body are fatal.

Increase in cases in Germany, but so far without a fatal outcome

In Germany, the spread seems manageable so far: there have been around 40 clinical cases since 2015, says Oliver Kurzai from the University of Würzburg, head of the National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections, the German Press Agency. But the number is increasing here too, most recently there were 10 to 15 cases per year – so far without a fatal outcome.

However: “We are also seeing an increase here,” said the microbiologist. “We are observing this trend everywhere in Europe and also on other continents.” He cites South Africa, India, Brazil and the Arabian Peninsula as examples.

In 2023, the WHO put C. auris on the list of pathogenic fungi that it believes should be researched as a matter of priority.