Wednesday, April 26, 2017 12:53PM
NEW YORK -- A 'superbug' fungus is emerging as a new menace in U.S. hospitals, mostly in New York and New Jersey.
First identified in Japan in 2009, the fungus has spread to more than a dozen countries around the globe. The oldest of the 66 cases reported in the U.S. dates back to 2013, but most were reported in the last year.
The fungus called Candida auris is a harmful form of yeast. Scientists say it can be hard to identify with standard lab tests. U.S. health officials sounded alarms last year because two of the three kinds of commonly used antifungal drugs have little effect.
"It's acting like a superbug" bacteria, said Dr. Paige Armstrong of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most vulnerable are fragile hospital patients - particularly newborns and the elderly. It tends to be diagnosed in patients after they've been in hospitals for several weeks. The fungus can infect wounds, ears and the bloodstream.
A study presented at a CDC conference this week detailed how researchers traveled to South America to help investigate an outbreak in three Colombia cities. They found the fungus on surfaces in hospital rooms and on the skin of nurses and patients - even after patients were treated with antifungal medications.
On Tuesday, state health officials provided new details about the 44 cases in New York. Aside from one case in Rochester, all were in New York City, at 15 hospitals and a doctor's office. No site has had more than six cases.
Seventeen New York patients died, but state officials said everyone infected had other illnesses and the fungus was not necessarily the cause of death.
New Jersey has had 15 cases, Illinois, 4, and there's been one case in Indiana, Maryland and Massachusetts, according to the CDC.
================
Healthcare facilities in several countries have reported that a type of yeast called Candida auris
has been causing severe illness in hospitalized patients. In some
patients, this yeast can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the
body, causing serious invasive infections.
This yeast often does not respond to commonly used antifungal drugs,
making infections difficult to treat. Patients who have been in the
intensive care unit for a long time or have a central venous catheter
placed in a large vein, and have previously received antibiotics or
antifungal medications, appear to be at highest risk of infection with
this yeast.
Specialized laboratory methods are needed to accurately identify C. auris. Conventional lab techniques could lead to misidentification and inappropriate treatment, making it difficult to control the spread of C. auris in healthcare settings.
Because of these factors, CDC is alerting U.S. healthcare facilities to be on the lookout for C. auris in their patients.
NEW YORK -- A 'superbug' fungus is emerging as a new menace in U.S. hospitals, mostly in New York and New Jersey.
First identified in Japan in 2009, the fungus has spread to more than a dozen countries around the globe. The oldest of the 66 cases reported in the U.S. dates back to 2013, but most were reported in the last year.
The fungus called Candida auris is a harmful form of yeast. Scientists say it can be hard to identify with standard lab tests. U.S. health officials sounded alarms last year because two of the three kinds of commonly used antifungal drugs have little effect.
"It's acting like a superbug" bacteria, said Dr. Paige Armstrong of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most vulnerable are fragile hospital patients - particularly newborns and the elderly. It tends to be diagnosed in patients after they've been in hospitals for several weeks. The fungus can infect wounds, ears and the bloodstream.
A study presented at a CDC conference this week detailed how researchers traveled to South America to help investigate an outbreak in three Colombia cities. They found the fungus on surfaces in hospital rooms and on the skin of nurses and patients - even after patients were treated with antifungal medications.
On Tuesday, state health officials provided new details about the 44 cases in New York. Aside from one case in Rochester, all were in New York City, at 15 hospitals and a doctor's office. No site has had more than six cases.
Seventeen New York patients died, but state officials said everyone infected had other illnesses and the fungus was not necessarily the cause of death.
New Jersey has had 15 cases, Illinois, 4, and there's been one case in Indiana, Maryland and Massachusetts, according to the CDC.
================
A strain of Candida auris cultured in a petri dish at CDC.
Specialized laboratory methods are needed to accurately identify C. auris. Conventional lab techniques could lead to misidentification and inappropriate treatment, making it difficult to control the spread of C. auris in healthcare settings.
Because of these factors, CDC is alerting U.S. healthcare facilities to be on the lookout for C. auris in their patients.
CDC and partners continue to work closely; click here for the latest information on Candida auris. To learn more about Candida auris, read the Q&A below and CDC’s Interim Recommendations.
Why is CDC concerned about C. auris infections?
CDC is concerned about C. auris for three main reasons:- It is often multidrug-resistant, meaning that it is resistant to most antifungal drugs commonly used to treat Candida infections.
- It is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and it can be misidentified in labs without specific technology. Misidentification may lead to inappropriate treatment.
- It has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings. For this reason, rapid identification of C. auris in a hospitalized patient is particularly important so that hospitals can take special precautions to stop its spread.