Latest news with #CandidaAuris
The Sun
29-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Warning as deadly fungal infections that enter the bloodstream on the rise – and scientists identify those most at risk
SEVERAL deadly fungal infections are on the rise in England, health chiefs warn - including one labeled a 'huge threat to humanity'. In 2024, cases of fungi entering the bloodstream rose slightly from 3.8 to 3.9 per 100,000 people, new figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveal. 2 Most were found in vulnerable patients in hospitals, particularly those with weakened immune systems. Bloodstream infections caused by a type of fungus called yeast usually happen in hospitals, from yeasts that naturally live on our skin or inside our bodies. The main culprits behind these new infections are yeast species like Candida albicans, Nakaseomyces glabratus, and Candida parapsilosis. Candida albicans, or C. albicans as it is sometimes called, has already been named by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of 19 deadly fungi posing a serious threat to humanity. It's branded a superbug because it's becoming harder and harder to treat due to growing drug resistance. But UKHSA chiefs are most concerned about Candidozyma auris - a tougher, drug-resistant fungus that has also been reported and can be deadly and spreads easily in hospitals. Between 2013 and 2024, there were 637 reported cases of in England, with 178 just last year alone, data suggests. Once rare, it's been steadily rising, especially since the Covid pandemic restrictions ended. Experts say the rise may be linked to more complex surgeries, longer hospital stays, and increased antibiotic use – all of which can weaken the body's defenses. 'Our surveillance shows that serious fungal infections are having an increasing impact on public health," Professor Andy Borman from the UKHSA said. "The rise of drug-resistant C. auris means we must remain vigilant to protect patient safety.' To tackle this threat, UKHSA has stepped up surveillance and made C. auris a notifiable infection. This means hospitals must report cases quickly to help control outbreaks. What is antimicrobial resistance? Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health and development threat. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat. Source: WHO
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dangerous fungus spreading in US hospitals has ‘rapidly increased'
A dangerous fungus spreading among U.S. healthcare systems isn't slowing down, reports claim. New research has revealed that Candida auris (C. auris) has spread rapidly in hospitals since it was first reported in 2016. In March 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 4,000 new clinical cases of C. auris, dubbing it an "urgent antimicrobial (AR) threat." Shampoo Recalled For Bacteria Contamination That Could Cause Infection The fungus can be resistant to multiple antifungal drugs and can cause "life-threatening illness." C. auris "spreads easily" in healthcare facilities and mostly impacts people who are already sick, the CDC stated on its website. Read On The Fox News App A new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control on March 17 analyzed clinical cultures of C. auris across the U.S. collected from 2019 to 2023. The number of clinical cultures increased by 580% from 2019 to 2020, by 251% in 2021, by 46% in 2022, and by 7% in 2023. Frightening New Fungus 'Candida Auris': What Is It? Who Is Susceptible? "The volumes of clinical cultures with C. auris have rapidly increased, accompanied by an expansion in the sources of infection," concluded the researchers, primarily from the University of Miami. JoAnna Wagner with the Georgia Department of Public Health shared with local ABC News affiliate WJCL that Georgia, one of the impacted states, has detected more than 1,300 cases as of the end of February. "Many of the disinfectants that are EPA-registered and historically used by hospitals and medical facilities are not effective against C. Auris," Wagner said. Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone, considers C. auris an "emerging problem of great concern," he told Fox News Digital. For more Health articles, visit "It is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, and it tends to spread in hospital settings, including on equipment being used on immunocompromised and semi-immunocompromised patients, such as ventilators and catheters," he said. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "Unfortunately, symptoms such as fever, chills and aches may be ubiquitous, and it can be mistaken for other infections." "Major research" is ongoing to develop new treatments, according to Siegel. "This is part of a much larger problem of emerging antibiotic resistance in the U.S. and around the world," the physician cautioned. "At the same time, sterilization and disinfection measures in hospitals can be very helpful." Healthcare facilities in Georgia are reportedly using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified cleaners designed to attack the fungus. Although C. auris can cause severe infections with high death rates in sick individuals, it is "not a threat to healthy people," according to the CDC. Fox News Digital reached out to the lead study author and the Georgia Department of Public Health for article source: Dangerous fungus spreading in US hospitals has 'rapidly increased'
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dangerous fungus spreading in US hospitals has ‘rapidly increased'
A dangerous fungus spreading among U.S. healthcare systems isn't slowing down, reports claim. New research has revealed that Candida auris (C. auris) has spread rapidly in hospitals since it was first reported in 2016. In March 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 4,000 new clinical cases of C. auris, dubbing it an "urgent antimicrobial (AR) threat." Shampoo Recalled For Bacteria Contamination That Could Cause Infection The fungus can be resistant to multiple antifungal drugs and can cause "life-threatening illness." C. auris "spreads easily" in healthcare facilities and mostly impacts people who are already sick, the CDC stated on its website. Read On The Fox News App A new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control on March 17 analyzed clinical cultures of C. auris across the U.S. collected from 2019 to 2023. The number of clinical cultures increased by 580% from 2019 to 2020, by 251% in 2021, by 46% in 2022, and by 7% in 2023. Frightening New Fungus 'Candida Auris': What Is It? Who Is Susceptible? "The volumes of clinical cultures with C. auris have rapidly increased, accompanied by an expansion in the sources of infection," concluded the researchers, primarily from the University of Miami. JoAnna Wagner with the Georgia Department of Public Health shared with local ABC News affiliate WJCL that Georgia, one of the impacted states, has detected more than 1,300 cases as of the end of February. "Many of the disinfectants that are EPA-registered and historically used by hospitals and medical facilities are not effective against C. Auris," Wagner said. Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone, considers C. auris an "emerging problem of great concern," he told Fox News Digital. For more Health articles, visit "It is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, and it tends to spread in hospital settings, including on equipment being used on immunocompromised and semi-immunocompromised patients, such as ventilators and catheters," he said. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "Unfortunately, symptoms such as fever, chills and aches may be ubiquitous, and it can be mistaken for other infections." "Major research" is ongoing to develop new treatments, according to Siegel. "This is part of a much larger problem of emerging antibiotic resistance in the U.S. and around the world," the physician cautioned. "At the same time, sterilization and disinfection measures in hospitals can be very helpful." Healthcare facilities in Georgia are reportedly using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified cleaners designed to attack the fungus. Although C. auris can cause severe infections with high death rates in sick individuals, it is "not a threat to healthy people," according to the CDC. Fox News Digital reached out to the lead study author and the Georgia Department of Public Health for article source: Dangerous fungus spreading in US hospitals has 'rapidly increased'
