Latest news with #fungalInfection
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Terrifying alert over rise in lethal fungus experts say is a 'threat to humanity'
Health officials have sounded the alarm over a killer fungus that poses a 'serious threat to humanity' and is spreading in UK hospitals. Candidozyma auris (C. auris) can survive on surfaces in hospitals, as well as the skin, for a long period of time and is often resistant to disinfectants and anti-fungal medication. But, if spores enter the body, either through wounds or via a needle during medical treatment, it can cause serious and life-threatening infections. The infection can spread to the blood, brain, spinal cord, bones, abdomen, ears, respiratory tract and urinary system, and kill. It is so deadly that the World Health Organisation has identified it as one of 19 lethal fungi that pose a 'serious threat to humanity'. Now, a new alert from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has raised the alarm over a rise in infections caused by fungus, including candidozyma auris, reaching 2,247 reports last year. While there were 637 cases of C auris over the last decade, nearly 200 of these were detected last year alone. Invasive fungal infections are already estimated to cause at least 2.5million deaths globally each year. According to the Professor Andy Borman, Head of the Mycology Reference Laboratory, UKHSA, the reason for the rise may be an increase in people who are immunocompromised, as well as rising numbers of people undergoing complex surgeries. 'The rise of drug-resistant C. auris means we must remain vigilant to protect patient safety', he added. C. auris, which is predominantly found in healthcare settings, was first identified in 2009 in the ear of a Japanese patient and since then has been found in more than 40 countries across 6 continents. While most people don't get sick from coming into contact with the fungus—which is predominantly found in hospitals, on radiators, windowsills, sinks, and medical equipment such as blood pressure cuffs—infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat once they take hold. People with weakened immune systems—especially those who received healthcare abroad last year, who have spent a lot of time in hospital, are in intensive care, or have been treated with certain antibiotics—are at a significantly higher risk. Patients who require medical devices which go into their body, such as catheters, are also at an increased risk. The fungus spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, or via direct contact with individuals who carry the fungus on their skin, without developing an infection—known as colonisation. Experts are particularly concerned that the fungus, which reproduced far quicker than humans, is becoming more resistant to drug treatments. This means, the more these organisms come into contact with antifungal drugs, the more likely it is that resistant strains—or super-fungi—will emerge. To tackle this threat, the health and safety watchdog has increased surveillance, and has flagged C. auris as a notifiable infection, meaning that hospitals must report all cases, to help control outbreaks. The government is urging healthcare providers to identify colonised or infected patients early, including patients who had stayed overnight in a healthcare facility outside the UK last year. They have also suggested that single-use equipment should be used where possible—making sure that reusable items, such as blood pressure cuffs, undergo effective decontamination. The UKHSA has also sounded the alarm over Candida albicans, Nakaseomyces glabratus, and Candida parapsilosis—fungi that can enter the bloodstream and cause infection. The warning follows the outbreak of another killer fungus that infects millions of people a year earlier this month. Aspergillus, a type of mould, is all around us—in the air, soil, food and in decaying organic matter. But if spores enter the lungs, the fungi can grow into a lumps the size of tennis balls, causing severe breathing issues—a condition called aspergillosis. The infection can then spread to the skin, brain, heart or kidneys, and kill. Researchers say a rise in global temperatures is fueling the growth and spread of aspergillus across Europe, increasing the risk of the deadly illness.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Valley Fever is ready to slam California again with record-breaking cases: Here's what you need to know
California may be facing another record year for Valley fever infections. The lung infections are caused by a fungus that grows in western soil, resulting in serious or long-term lung problems and potentially death if it is not treated and spreads to the brain. It results in thousands of cases every year in the U.S. and hundreds of deaths. The Golden State, where Valley Fever was first discovered, is consistently the state with the most infections. After a record year, early state data shows it's on track for what is looking to be another big one. There are already more than 3,100 confirmed cases across the state. That's more than there were at the same time last year and nearly double the amount in 2023. 'There is no question that the number of cases of coccidioidomycosis is enormously higher than before,' Dr. Royce Johnson, chief of the division of infectious disease and director of the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical in California, recently told NBC News. 'If you want to see me, right now you'd have to wait until July, and that goes for my colleagues, too.' The majority of this year's cases are in Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey and Fresno counties. A significant oil-producing area, wildfire-stricken Kern has often been the epicenter of outbreaks — but there are new areas of concern. Cases in the East Bay's Contra Costa County have more than tripled since 2023. Merced has also seen cases steadily increase and San Bernardino has seen 60 more than last year. 'It appears to be spreading out,' Gail Sondermeyer Cooksey, an epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health, told the network. How do exposures occur? Valley Fever, officially called coccidioidomycosis, was first discovered in Southern California's San Joaquin Valley. The lung infection is caused by the fungus Coccidioides that grows in soil in western parts of the U.S., with the majority of cases reported in California and Arizona. Valley Fever is caused by breathing in infectious spores, although some who are exposed are never infected. The spores can be kicked up during wind events, or through agricultural work and construction. While people can get Valley Fever at any time of the year, they are more likely to be infected during late summer and fall. Cases typically peak between September and November, due to a delay from infection to reporting. What's the concern? Symptoms can include fatigue, cough, fever, headache, shortness of breath, night sweats, muscle aches, joint pain and a red rash on the upper body or legs. As many as 10 percent of those who are infected will develop serious or long-term problems in their lungs. Another 1 percent will see it spread to their skin, bones, joints or brain. Those older than 60 are more likely to be infected, as well as people who have weakened immune systems, are pregnant, have diabetes and people who are Black or Filipino. People who work outdoors are also at a higher risk. The climate connection Researchers have found that cases of the disease spike in California during a shift from drought to heavy rainfall. California specifically has seen rapid shifts from extreme drought to long-lasting atmospheric river events in recent years. Wet winters can provide the ideal conditions for Valley Fever infections, as the summer dries out the land and breaks down the fungus into infectious spores. After flooding and mudslides in March, the state is in for a hot and dry summer, according to federal forecasters. 'As climate change alters the timing and intensity of precipitation in California, we see longer high-risk periods for Coccidioides exposure,' Simon Camponuri, a PhD candidate at U.C. Berkeley, said in a statement.
