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Data of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, state that cases of Candida auris are on the rise in the United States.
According to the agency, there was a 59% increase in Candida auris infections from 2019 to 2020 and then an additional 95% in 2021. In addition, the number of people colonized by the fungus increased by 209% in 2021.
The CDC considers it an “urgent threat” because many strains of the yeast are already resistant to all available treatments, it spreads rapidly in healthcare settings and can be fatal.
So far it is known that the genus Candida comprises approximately 200 species, of which only 30 have been identified as pathogenic for humans. Most Candida species naturally colonize the human body and are part of the normal human microbiome.
The serious thing is that this fungus becomes resistant to drugs and when a person’s immune system is compromised or diminished, it can invade the normal protective layers and cause an infection.
How candida auris affects the body
Candida can live in a specific region, such as the skin or other surface and increase as the person’s immune system decreases.
When organisms like fungi evolve to live at higher temperatures, they have an advantage when it comes to growing in the high-temperature conditions of the human body.
But also can enter the bloodstream directly through a wound or through invasive medical equipmentsuch as endotracheal tubes and intravenous lines, where it can cause a serious systemic infection in the bloodstream (sepsis).
For this reason, the key is that the professionals and all health personnel who handle contact with fluids, maintain the correct hygiene of both equipment and facilities, as well as their own hands.
The most common symptoms of sepsis include fever and chills that do not resolve with antibiotics. Due to the nature of the symptoms, along with routine blood tests that cannot identify Candida auris, diagnosis is often difficult and delayed, leading to poorer outcomes.
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