THE DOCTOR IS IN
OP / ED BY DR. ADIL MANZOOR
These last few years have been tough for pretty much everyone. Of course, I’m talking chiefly about the pandemic and the several problems that accompanied it. Aside from the loss of lives, and in their millions for that matter, a lot of other sectors were also affected, including the economy. But you know of all these, and there’s really no point speaking about the coronavirus too much. In fact, it seems the United States has entered its healing stage, where many pretend like the coronavirus didn’t and doesn’t exist – which is a dangerous path to tread, by the way – but that’s a discussion for another day.
There is a more pressing issue I’d like to point your attention to – the unexpected rise of a dangerous fungal infection that goes by the name Candida auris. While this fungal infection is certainly not a new one, first identified in 2009, it has only recently shot up in the United States. Reports show that between 2019 and 2021, infections tripled in the United States.
To understand just how serious a threat that poses, note that the CDC states that 30 to 60% of the people with Candida auris infection have died. While there’s more story to those freakishly high numbers, it gives an idea of how dangerous the infection can be. For this reason, this article will overview all you need to know about the Candida auris infection.
To start with, Candida auris is a yeast-type fungus that can infect humans and is quite resistant to existing antifungal drugs. If you have basic medical knowledge, you will be familiar with other fungi of the Candida species, especially Candida albicans, that cause infections like vaginal thrush. You may also be familiar with other superficial fungal infections, like athlete’s foot. Well, Candida auris is on another level.
One of the primary reasons for this is that the infection caused by Candida auris is often multi-drug resistant. And, that’s just as bad as it sounds. In the medical world, there are fewer things scarier than an infection that just wouldn’t die in the face of various medications. No one can forget the colossal efforts put into fighting the MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a bacteria specie that also resisted several existing antibiotics. Therefore, when any infection bears the tag of multi-drug resistant, it raises a few concerns. This very much applies to Candida auris,too.
Another cause of concern with Candida auris is that it is difficult to identify. It’s this simple – if the condition is not properly identified, it may be improperly treated. And when this persists, it raises the resistance of the fungus even more. Furthermore, the Candida auris differs from other Candida infections in that it can “colonize” the human skin. Most other Candida species grow inside the body, particularly in the gut, as part of our microbiome.
The implication of a fungal infection colonizing the skin is immense, as people who are colonized with the fungal infection can easily spread it by shedding yeast-infested skin. This then contaminates other surfaces and strongly increases the risk of the fungal infection spreading to other people.
Fortunately, though, the risk of C. auris harming healthy individuals is low. The fungus colonizing the skin does not mean it will lead to an infection. Colonizing is simply the growth of fungi on the skin, and infection only results when it makes its way into the blood. So, generally, you will not have to worry about this infection in your day-to-day life.
However, people in hospitals cannot say the same. The rise of this infection has been primarily in hospitals, especially in the ICUs. It’s not really hard to see why too, as fungal species are notorious for being difficult to eradicate after they colonize a surface. This is also the case when they cause an infection. To worsen matters, since the pandemic hit, there has been way more traffic in hospitals and ICUs. This, therefore, increases the risk of a Candida auris infection.
In sum, this fungal infection is a real source of concern, and should not be taken with levity. With that said, good hygiene practices and more extensive research into antifungal medications will go a long way in curtailing its spread.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor, DO, a Board-Certified Internist & Board Certified Pediatrician who works as a Hospitalist and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice, Mobile Medicine NJ & House call Doctors. He is also currently pursuing an Executive MBA and a Master’s of Science in Healthcare Leadership at Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management and the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences.
References
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/dangerous-fungal-infections-are-on-the-rise-in-u-s-hospitals-heres-what-you-need-to-know
- https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-fungal-infection-candida-auris-alarming-spread-rcna75477
- https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/candida-auris-qanda.html#:~:text=auris%20infection%20are%20more%20likely,increased%20their%20risk%20of%20death.
- https://theconversation.com/candida-auris-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-deadly-fungus-spreading-through-us-hospitals-202493
