A DEADLY drug-resistant superbug is spreading fast in the US with a whopping 2,000 cases in a single state, experts say.
The situation is so dire that the Centers for Disease Control has declared Candida auris, otherwise known as C. auris, as an urgent threat.
It is a highly-transmissible fungal infection that can cause serious illness and death, particularly among vulnerable hospital patients.
In some cases, it won’t cause any symptoms, but some people experience a fever or chills, low blood pressure, and a rash, according to Public Health England.
It can also lead to bloodstream, wound, and ear infections.
There were 10,788 confirmed cases of C. auris in the United States from 2016 to 2023, according to the CDC.
New York leads the nation in number of cases with 1,795 over that time period.
The CDC has called the disease an “urgent threat” and it is fatal 60 percent of the time.
“It is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, spreads easily in healthcare facilities, and can cause severe infections with high death rates,” the CDC wrote.
There have been 90 cases so far this year in New York.
That follows 460 confirmed cases in 2024 and 412 in 2023.
The fungus can spread in healthcare settings through, for example, contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment.
[boxout headline=”What is Candida auris?” featured-image=”34234212″ intro=”Candida auris is a fungus that, when it gets into the bloodstream, can cause dangerous infections that can be life-threatening.”]It’s not usually a threat to healthy people, but it can be deadly for those with weak immune systems – especially patients who are already sick, the elderly and newborns.
It is often symptom-less, but some people experience a fever, chills, sweating, low blood pressure, fatigue, an increased heart rate, pain in the ear, and a rash.
In serious cases, Candida auris can cause ear and wound infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and infections in the blood that can spread to the rest of the body, like sepsis.
Overall, it has a mortality rate of between 30 and 60 per cent.
Candida auris was first identified in a patient in Japan in 2009.
Experts have warned that the killer fungal infection – that is resistant to drugs – is now sweeping the globe, with cases rising worldwide.
Candida auris spreads through direct contact with someone who has it, or from touching a contaminated surface. It can also be passed on through medical devices.
In 2019, the UK Government issued a warning to hospitals about a new strain. There are now six known types, or clades.
To prevent outbreaks, patients who test positive should be isolated, and there should be enhanced hygiene procedures and cleaning of affected clinical areas.
It can also spread from physical contact with an infected person.
“Most C. auris infections are treatable with antifungal drugs,” the New York State Department of Health wrote.
“However, some C. auris infections have been resistant to all three main classes of antifungal medications, making them more difficult to treat.”
According to officials, there are various reasons they believe cases continue to increase.
This includes poor general infection prevention and control practices in healthcare facilities.
In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed Candida auris as a “critical priority” for research and public health action.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also declared the fungus as “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat” as it has become increasingly difficult to treat.
Scientists have previously said it could trigger the next pandemic.
Cases are rising worldwide, increasing each year since 2016.
