Rare deadly fungus detected in majority US states

A rare and often deadly fungus is spreading rapidly across the US, federal researchers said, raising pressure to find new treatments for severe fungal disease. Candida auris, a fungus discovered about 15 years ago in Japan, infected at least 2,377 people in the U.S. in 2022, up from 53 in 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Its swift spread into most states and more than 40 countries has prompted the CDC and World Health Organization to label it a growing threat to public health. Candida auris has a mortality rate of up to 60% and is particularly risky for people who are older or have compromised immune systems, the CDC said.

“To see a new species arrive on the scene and then suddenly emerge as a global pathogen less than 15 years later—that’s really remarkable," said Dr. Peter Pappas, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.Most Candida auris transmission has occurred in healthcare facilities that provide long-term care to very sick patients, the paper said. Select Specialty Hospital-Northwest Detroit, a rehabilitation center for the critically ill, temporarily stopped admitting patients last year after an outbreak of Candida auris. All healthcare facilities need to be aware of the threat, said Buddy Hammerman, chief medical officer of Select Medical Holdings Corp., the hospital’s operator.

Fungal infections are estimated to kill at least 1.6 million people a year, according to Global Action for Fungal Infections, a research and fundraising nonprofit. There are only three classes of antifungal drugs commonly used for severe fungal disease, Dr. Spec said, all of which can cause toxic side effects. Fungi are also developing resistance to these drugs, Dr. Spec said. At least seven Candida auris infections were resistant to available antifungals in 2021, the CDC said, up from four in the years before 2020.