Another Global Health Threat! Drug-Resistant Fungal Infection Candida Auris in Hospital Patients

Believe it or not, as the majority wraps up 2021 with booster shots and a sigh of relief, looking forward to the new year in control of COVID-19, scientists have more worrisome news.

Amid fears of continuing hospitalizations due to COVID-19, there has been an outbreak of a very rare yet dangerous fungal infection in a hospital in the state of Oregon. This was documented and reported to the Oregon Health Authority on Tuesday, December 28^th, 2021.

A case of Candida Auris, a type of yeast rare to the United States was first detected at Salem Health in Oregon, on Saturday, December 11 and confirmed on Friday, December 17 in a patient that had recently had international healthcare exposures. After these two, more already-hospitalized patients also came down with the fungal infection on Dec 23 and Dec 27.

The Center for Disease Control has labelled it as a ‘serious global threat’ and notes that since 2013, about 1150 cases of Candida Auris have been identified.

This fungus can cause infections in wounds or in the blood and is especially dangerous for elderly patients with weak immune systems, especially those in hospitals or nursing homes, with tubes or intravenous lines that can give good grounds for Candida Auris to multiply and grow.

The good news is that the risk of infection in otherwise health people is extremely low but those with underlying serious chronic medical infections need to be very cautious as I is resistant to the standard available antifungal drugs.

Candida Auris is dangerous and a serious global threat because it is seen to have strong resistance to one antifungal drug that is easily available.

Moreover, health authorities are concerned because it is difficult to diagnose, does require specialized laboratory work and immediate action is needed before it spreads. It can cause dangerous invasive infections in the immunocompromised. According to records of Center for Disease Control, 30-60% people who contracted Candida Auris have died but it could also be due to the underlying chronic medical conditions.

To avoid getting infected with Candida Auris one must keep the positive patient in isolation, have frequent cleaning with a strong disinfectant and the best remedy is frequent, thorough hand washing with soap and water.

So far, the current patients are responding to treatment of a group of antifungal medicines named Echinocandis, but it has been documented that some strains of Candida Auris are resistant to all three main classes of drugs and management then requires combined doses of multiple medications.

 Presently Oregon Health Authority, Salem Health and Center for Disease Control are chalking out a plan to closely monitor the positive patients, manage their fungal infections and prevent spread to other hospitalized patients. For spread prevention transmission-based precautions are used, along with the  ensuring of frequent disinfection and adherence to frequent hand washing protocols.