The yeast Candida auris was first identified in the U.S. in 2016. Since then, the number of cases has increased every year, jumping substantially in 2023. A study published this week, which focused on the Jackson Health System in Miami, also found cases of the fungus to have "rapidly increased." C. auris poses "an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat," according to the CDC, and has already been detected in 28 States. Candida auris is so concerning because it is often resistant to anti-fungal drugs, making it hard to treat infections. It can also be hard to identify with standard lab tests, making it even more difficult to treat properly and early. C. auris "spread at an alarming rate" between 2020 and 2021 in healthcare facilities, the CDC wrote in a memo released Monday and has continued to spread in 2022. By the end of 2022, more than 8,000 instances of C. auris had been identified across 28 states and Washington, D.C. The CDC said Candida auris outbreaks are a big threat in healthcare settings, where the fungus can enter patients' bloodstreams and cause severe, deadly infections. "The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control," CDC epidemiologist Meghan Lyman said in a press release. @ https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/3910245-rapidly-spreading-fungus-already-in-28-states-presents-urgent-threat-cdc-warns/
