LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — As testing reveals more cases involving the “superbug” known as candida auris, the medical field is struggling with a tough question. Are people dying “from” C. auris, or are they just dying “with” C. auris?
It’s an uncomfortable question. So much so that the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) is no longer releasing any data regarding deaths involving one of the five CDC “superbugs” classified as an urgent health threat. The last time the CDC provided case counts by state, Nevada accounted for 14% of the cases in the U.S.
In November of 2022, 8 News Now reported on statistics from DPBH that showed 63 deaths linked to C. auris . Our report stated, “The deaths were not necessarily caused by the fungus” — in the second paragraph. But that’s the last time we’ve been able to report information about deaths. Data released in March 2023, November 2023 and February 2024 excluded any information on deaths.
When asked three months ago about information on C. auris deaths, DPBH gave this reply: