Is humanity facing extinction due to the fungus Candida auris, which is spreading in the US
Miscellaneous / / April 03, 2023
People who are in the hospital for a long time are at risk.
What is Candida auris
Candida auris, or Candida aureus, is a fungus of the genus Candida, which includes the causative agent of thrush Candida albicans. Healthy people to her almost don't get sick, but in hospitalized patients and people with weakened immune systems, it causes a deadly infection that is difficult to treat.
Candida auris used to be rare, but over the past couple of years, the incidence in the US has been almost doubled. If earlier cases of candidiasis occurred only in large metropolitan areas like New York, now the pathogen has been found in almost half of the states. At the same time, the fungus stopped responding to conventional therapy. So health officials sounded the alarm.
In Russia, the fungus for the first time discovered in 2016. Fortunately, since then there have been only isolated cases. According to Rospotrebnadzor, no strains of Candida have yet been identified in the country that would be resistant to drugs for
disinfection hospitals. Thanks to this, outbreaks of a dangerous disease have not yet been.How dangerous is the infection caused by Candida auris
According to the US Centers for Disease Control, within 90 days of infection with Candida auris dies half of the patients. But the reason is not only in the pathogen itself, but also in the fact that usually not very healthy people fell ill. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether the fungus was the cause or whether it simply aggravated the situation.
How Candida auris is transmitted
It is believed that infection Maybe through contact with infected body fluids: blood from wounds, sputum, feces, urine, or through medical equipment (for example, ventilators) and surfaces in the hospital.
You cannot get infected through touching and hugging.
Could Candida auris cause a pandemic?
Unlikely. Candida auris is not transmitted by droplets or touch and rarely affects healthy people. In addition, for example, in Russia, the resistant strain that attacked the United States is practically not widespread. So at the moment there is no threat to humanity.
But mutations and increased sensitivity of fungi somehow cause concern among scientists. It is assumed that the reason for this is the uncontrolled intake of antibiotics for any signs of SARS. Especially this appeared during the coronavirus pandemic, when people tried to avoid pneumonia. Microbes are learning faster than pharmaceutical companies are producing new drugs. And this is really dangerous for people: we can encounter a pathogen that will not respond to any existing medicine.
Who is at risk of contracting Candida auris
Most often Candida auris become infected People:
- elderly;
- with a weakened immune system;
- with chronic diseases such as diabetes or cancer;
- long-term antibiotics;
- recently undergone surgery;
- long-term hospital stays;
- with open wounds, ulcers, burns;
- with installed tubes and drains;
- treated in countries with Candida auris outbreaks.
What are the symptoms of an infection caused by Candida auris
Symptoms are often overlooked because they are usually appear in a person who is already in the hospital with some serious illness. So the diagnosis can be put only after the analysis.
Candida auris causes various diseases, such as wound infection, blood damage, ear damage, and others. So the signs will vary. Usually all patients rises heat.
How Candida auris infections are treated
Most diseases caused by Candida auris are being treated antifungal drugs - echinocandids. If candida are resistant to all known antifungal drugs, they are tried to be treated with combinations of drugs in high doses.
What special precautions are taken when detecting Candida auris
Even after a person recovers, the fungus can remain on the skin for some time. So these measures are necessary observe to negative carrier tests.
In the hospital
In the hospital when identifying candida auris:
- the infected person is transferred to a separate ward;
- surfaces and medical equipment are processed according to a different scheme, not as usual;
- medical personnel are required to wear special gowns and gloves;
- relatives are asked carefully to wash hands after leaving the room.
At home
Healthy people are unlikely get infected fungus, so it is enough:
- the sick person and his family members should wash their hands more often with soap and water, especially after treating wounds or medical surfaces;
- wash hands after going to the toilet;
- Disinfect surfaces that could get fungus, such as doorknobs.
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