The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued an alert across the country to be on the lookout for a deadly fungus that is spreading. There have already been confirmed cases in Wisconsin.
Candida Auris
The name of the fungus is Candida Auris. It was first discovered in the United States in 2013. Since then, cases have risen sharply. East Coast states like New Jersey and New York have had the most cases, but the fungus has now spread to the Midwest.
The fungus made it’s way to Wisconsin border states, and then in 2022, the first case of the fungus appeared in Wisconsin.
Primarily found in health care facilities.
People who spend a lot of time in health care settings and have underlying medical issues are most at risk of C. auris. It spreads in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and nursing homes. Most people who are sickened by C. auris have weakened immune systems and may have been receiving lots of antibiotics. People who also have lines or tubes in their bodies, such as catheters, feeding tubes, or breathing tubes are more likely to get infected.
Canadis Auris can live on surfaces for a long time.
C. auris can survive and live on surfaces for several weeks. It can spread from healthy people who have it on their skin without knowing it. It’s very difficult to get rid of it in a healthcare facility.
Most Healthy People Don’t Need To Worry
Healthy people’s immune systems usually protect them from the fungus. That’s also what makes it spread easily because people who have the fungus on their skin may not even know they are transmitting it.
The Wisconsin Department of Health warns that you may not notice symptoms of the deadly fungus because it affects people who are often already sick and in the hospital. A laboratory test is needed to see whether a patient has C. Auris.
30-60% of infected patients die.
C. auris is considered a deadly infection as 30-60% of those infected will die from it. Antibiotics don’t work on the fungus. The only treatment available is a drug called echinocandis, but the fungus has shown resistance to all antifungal medications…