On March 10, Digital Journal reported 35 people had been diagnosed with an infection caused by Candida auris, a species of fungus that grows as a yeast.
Since that time, it has been learned that the number of cases has risen to 53 patients, with 27 of them centered in New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A further 27 people have been identified as harboring the yeast, up from the 18 people harboring the yeast but remaining healthy on March 10. This group of people is spread out in three states.
New Scientist talked with David Denning at the University Hospital of South Manchester, UK. While some strains of C. auris have proven to be resistant to the three main classes of antibiotics used to treat fungal infections, Denning said, “It’s pretty difficult to find new antibiotics. It’s harder to find new antifungals.”
Denning explained that humans and fungi share many of the same metabolic pathways, so this means that quite a number of agents that will kill fungi are way too toxic for humans. “C. auris has the potential to be a really difficult problem,” he adds.
However, the CDC and Mr. Denning stress that for most healthy people, there is little chance of picking up this fungal infection. According to the CDC, risk factors include recent surgery, diabetes, broad-spectrum antibiotic and antifungal use, and central venous catheter use. Infections have been found in patients of all ages, from preterm infants to the elderly.
