Candida auris (C. auris), an emerging fungus considered an urgent antimicrobial resistance (AR) threat, spread at an alarming rate in US health care facilities in 2020-2021, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Equally alarming was the tripling of cases resistant to echinocandins in 2021, the most commonly recommended antifungal drug for treatment. c. the ear In general, infection c. the ear Not a threat to healthy people. Those who are very ill, have invasive medical devices, or have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities are at increased risk of acquisition. c. the ear. The CDC considered c. the ears As an urgent AR threat, because it is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, spreads easily in healthcare facilities and can cause serious infections with high mortality rates.
CDC epidemiologist Dr. Megan Lyman, lead author of the paper, said, “The rapid increase and geographic spread of cases underscores the need for continued surveillance, increased lab capacity, rapid diagnostic tests, and proven infection prevention and control.”
The article further explains, c. the ears Since the outbreak was first reported in 2016 in the United States, a total of 3,270 clinical cases (in which the infection is present) and 7,413 screening cases (in which the fungus is detected but not the cause of infection) have been reported as of December 31, 2021. Clinical cases have increased every year since 2016, with the fastest increase in 2020-2021. The CDC sees an increase in the number of cases for 2022. Between 2019-2021, 17 states identified their first c. the ear Never the case. Nationwide, clinical cases increased from 476 in 2019 to 1,471 in 2021. Screening cases tripled from 2020 to 2021, totaling 4,041. Screening is important to prevent spread by identifying patients who carry the fungus so that infection control can be used.
c. the ear The number of cases has increased for many reasons, including poor general infection prevention and control (IPC) practices in healthcare facilities. Case numbers may also be rising due to increased efforts to detect cases, including increased colonization screening, a test to see if someone has the fungus anywhere in their body but no signs of infection. The timing and results of public health investigations indicate this increase c. the ears The spread may worsen due to the strain on health care and public health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network, which provides nationwide lab capacity to rapidly identify antimicrobial resistance and local responses to prevent spread and protect people, provided some of the data for this report. CDC has worked to significantly strengthen laboratory capacity with state, regional, and local health departments through supplemental funding supported by the American Rescue Plan Act.. These efforts include increasing susceptibility testing capacity c. the ear From seven regional labs to over 26 labs nationwide.
CDC continues to work with state, local, and regional health departments and other partners to address this emerging threat to public health. Review more information c. the earsThe Antimicrobial Resistance Threats report identified that c. the ears as an urgent threat to the United States, or the WHO priority fungal pathogen list that identifies c. the ears As a global priority.