Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sounded alarm bells this week about the spread of infectious diseases. Candida aurisis a fungus that primarily affects hospitalized patients and can be resistant to drugs usually prescribed for fungal infections.
of CDC report focused on the case of Candida auris It tripled nationwide between 2019 and 2021. In 2022, Pennsylvania confirmed his 33 fungal cases in state patients.
Fungi may also be getting more attention due to their popularity Last of Us, an HBO series set in an America ravaged by a zombie apocalypse caused by a fungus.That fungus is based on Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, Or cordyceps, In the real world, it only affects insects.
Eric Sachinwala is a physician specializing in infectious diseases in Philadelphia, video game the show is based on: “Candida auris No one should be turned into a zombie, so that’s a good thing.
Here’s what you need to know about the endangered Pennsylvania fungus and what local hospitals are doing to protect their patients.
What is candida auris, And why are health officials worried about it?
C. auris “This is related to other, more common yeasts that many of us naturally have in our bodies.” They live in our intestinal tract, oral flora, and vaginal flora — yeast infections are caused by a different species. Candidasaid Sachinwala, medical director of infection prevention and control at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, a division of Jefferson Health.
but C. auris It’s a new strain of yeast that was only discovered in 2009, according to the CDC. It is found primarily in hospital settings and is particularly at risk in people who have spent long periods of time in the hospital, have been treated with antibiotics, or have lines and tubes such as catheters or tracheostomy tubes. increase.
“This tends to be more resistant to our typical antifungals,” Sachinwala said.
According to the CDC, C. auris Infections can be treated with certain classes of antifungal drugs. However, for resistant cases, doctors may need to administer several different antifungal drugs at the same time.
how C. auris What is the impact on long-term hospitalized patients?
people at highest risk Candida auris People who have spent significant time in hospitals and long-term care facilities, Sachinwala said.
Many such patients are treated with strong antibiotics, which, while successfully fighting bacterial infections, can also target “good” bacteria to help prevent fungal infections. C. auris, He said.
“One of the things healthy bacteria do is keep bad organisms out,” Sachinwalla said. “As your body is exposed to more and more antibiotics over time, it increases your chances of becoming colonized or infected with resistant bacteria.
Patients requiring long hospital stays or long-term care are generally frail and suffer from other conditions that can make them more vulnerable.But the CDC says C. auris has been detected in patients of all ages, More research is needed on its risk factors.
what are the symptoms of Candida auris infection? Is it deadly?
It depends on where the infection is located. People with urinary catheters who have developed an infection may experience fever and pain around the bladder. may occur. Sachinwala said people with catheters in veins can get blood infections, fever, a fast heart rate, or a drop in blood pressure.
Candida According to the CDC, yeast can cause fatal infections, but mortality is still unknown. “I don’t know if the patient is invasive C. auris Infectious diseases are more likely to die than patients with other invasive diseases Candida Infectious disease,” says CDC staff Wrote a Q&A on the agency’s website.
“Based on information from a limited number of patients, between 30% and 60% of people infected with C. auris die,” notes the CDC. But many of those people also had other diseases that increased their risk of death.
what is the prevalence of Candida auris in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania saw 33 clinical cases of Candida auris In 2022, this will increase from 12 cases in 2021 to just 4 cases in 2020, according to the CDC. CDC distinguishes clinical cases in which a patient has symptoms of an infection and is determined by a physician. Candida auris There are also ‘colonized cases’ where the patient is found to have the fungus but is not ill.
CDC data did not specify how many people were confirmed to be colonized by the fungus. However, according to state health department data, between March 2020 and August 2022, health officials identified a total of 144 cases of people who were sick or colonized by the fungus. It is mainly concentrated in southeastern Pennsylvania. State data did not specify how many patients had symptoms and how many were colonized.
Einstein Hospital staff treated one to two patients known to be colonized with the bacteria, Sachinwala said. C. auris. “They came to our hospital with unrelated problems,” he said. “We’ve dealt with it, isolated those patients, and cleaned the rooms with appropriate disinfectants.”
Sachinwala said shortages of personal protective equipment during the pandemic and an increase in patients requiring ventilators and long-term care due to COVID may have contributed to the increase.
However, most cases are found in hospitals, Sachinwalla said.
How can hospitals prevent Candida auris?
Hospitals and medical facilities typically disinfect rooms where patients stay. now, C. aurisHospitals must ensure that the disinfectants they use are effective against fungi. According to Sachinwala, Einstein updated his own cleaning process to that effect.
Hospitals and long-term care facilities can also use antibiotics “with caution” to reduce the risk of patients contracting fungal infections, he said.
“For most people, this is nothing to worry about,” he said.
