Candida auris
Candida auris: the fungus nobody wants to talk about - Matt Richtel
image by: Shannon DAgostino
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The Strange and Curious Case of the Deadly Superbug Yeast
A pathogen that resists almost all of the drugs developed to treat or kill it is moving rapidly across the world, and public health experts are stymied how to stop it.
By now, that’s a familiar scenario, the central narrative in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But this particular pathogen isn’t a bacterium. It’s a yeast, a new variety of an organism so common that it’s used as one of the basic tools of lab science, transformed into an infection so disturbing that one lead researcher called it “more infectious than Ebola” at an international conference last week.
The name of the yeast is Candida auris. It’s been on the radar of epidemiologists only since…
Resources
Candida auris: What is the deadly fungus sweeping through US hospitals?
The drug-resistant fungus Candida auris (C. auris) was only discovered some 15 years ago but is already one of the world's most feared hospital microbes.
The Desperate Race to Neutralize a Lethal Superbug Yeast
Candida auris spreads explosively in hospitals, but little is known about its origins. Figuring that out could help prevent a pandemic.
The potentially deadly Candida auris fungus is spreading quickly in the U.S.
The fungus is resistant to several antifungal medications, but the CDC said it is not seen as a threat to healthy people. Still, the national public health agency is calling C. auris an urgent threat because of its resistance to medications. It can cause serious illness and death in people who are already sick, use invasive medical devices or have long or frequent stays at health care facilities.
The latest deadly superbug — and why it’s not time to panic
If the first part of the name sounds familiar, that may be because other Candida species (such as Candida albicans, glabrata, and tropicalis) cause common vaginal and skin infections. They’re often called yeast infections and while quite bothersome, they only rarely cause serious illness. Candida auris is a completely different –– and much more dangerous –– organism. It gets its name from where it was first found: in the ear of an elderly woman in Japan. (“Auris” is Latin for ear.)
Why the CDC warns antibiotic-resistant fungal infections are an urgent health threat
We have heard a lot in recent years about the public health crisis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but less attention has been paid to antibiotic-resistant fungi.
A Familiar Fungus May Help Us Defeat a Deadly One
It seems like every few years there’s a virus or bacterium that threatens human health in a new way. But a new fungus that is a threat to humans? That doesn’t happen very often. That’s why we in the medical mycology community – the people who study dangerous fungi – are so intrigued and concerned by news reports about a new, deadly fungus called Candida auris.
A Mysterious Infection, Spanning the Globe in a Climate of Secrecy
The rise of Candida auris embodies a serious and growing public health threat: drug-resistant germs.
Candida Auris: The Fungus Nobody Wants to Talk Abou
As our reporting continued, we discovered it was common for hospitals, doctors and public health agencies to clam up when it came to talking about their troubles with resistant bugs, though they widely acknowledged the existence of the problem and even encouraged our efforts.
Candida Auris: Why This Fungus Is An Emerging Threat
There's nothing fun about this fungus that's a yeast. Candida auris can, did, and is continuing to spread in hospitals around the world. It can remain on people's skin and objects, such as hospital furniture and equipment, for quite a long time. Thus, it can spread indirectly from patient to patient. It can invade your body and kill you if your immune system is weakened. It can be resistant to the three major classes of anti-fungal drugs, leaving doctors with few options to treat C. auris infections.
Drug-resistant “superbugs” are spreading — but your hospital doesn’t have to tell you
The Candida auris outbreak is a reminder that patients have no way of telling whether their hospital has infections.
How Do Hospitals Stop the Spread of Drug-Resistant Superbugs Like C. Auris?
By ripping out floor tiles, reconfiguring pipes, and maybe deploying a hydrogen peroxide–spraying robot. Plus, a lot of bleach.
Novel antifungal shows early promise against Candida auris
"We think we can beat Candida auris," Taglietti told CIDRAP News. "This is a difficult, frightening pathogen, but we have something to fight it."
The superbug Candida auris is giving rise to warnings — and big questions
What’s known about the fungus Candida auris confounds the scientists who study it, the doctors who struggle to treat the persistent infections it causes, and the infection control teams that endeavor to clear it from hospital rooms after infected patients leave.
There's a deadly fungus among us—and it's spreading
A drug-resistant microbe could get a leg up from climate change.
What You Need to Know About Candida Auris
C. auris is a mysterious and dangerous fungal infection that is among a growing number of germs that have evolved defenses against common medicines. Here are some basic facts about it.
The Strange and Curious Case of the Deadly Superbug Yeast
A PATHOGEN THAT resists almost all of the drugs developed to treat or kill it is moving rapidly across the world, and public health experts are stymied how to stop it. By now, that’s a familiar scenario, the central narrative in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But this particular pathogen isn’t a bacterium. It’s a yeast, a new variety of an organism so common that it’s used as one of the basic tools of lab science, transformed into an infection so disturbing that one lead researcher called it “more infectious than Ebola” at an international conference last week.
CDC
Candida auris is an emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat.
MedlinePlus
Candida auris (C auris) is a type of yeast (fungus). It can cause a severe infection in hospital or nursing home patients. These patients are often already very sick. C auris infections often do not get better with the antifungal medicines that usually treat candida infections. When this occurs, the fungus is said to be resistant to antifungal medicines. This makes it very hard to treat the infection.
Why You Don’t Need to Worry About That New Drug-Resistant Super Fungus
We all want to feel as protected as possible against bad outcomes. No one wants the deadly fungus. But worrying about the fungus won’t help you avoid it. The lesson of this Times story isn’t to panic about your potential fungal infection, it’s to help the people who are worrying about it for everyone get the funding and attention they need.
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