Candida auris Infection Spreads in US: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention

What is Candida auris infection?

Candida auris is a microscopic fungus from the Candida family. Candida is a type of yeast, and there are many species of Candida microorganisms. Many of them live inside your body and on your skin. However, the problem occurs when Candida multiples too much resulting in an infection. C. auris is a new, strain of Candida fungus which was first identified in 2009. Recently the infection has started spreading in the US. If you have any doubts it is best to seek professional medical help.

Symptoms

Candida auris is a microscopic fungus from the Candida family. Candida is a type of yeast, and there are many species of Candida microorganisms. Many of them live inside your body and on your skin. However, the problem occurs when Candida multiples too much resulting in an infection. C. auris is a new, strain of Candida fungus which was first identified in 2009. Recently the infection has started spreading in the US. If you have any doubts it is best to seek professional medical help.

Causes

Healthy people are usually not at risk of getting a Candida Auris infection. It’s considered a nosocomial infection, meaning that it mostly occurs in nursing facilities or hospitals. Individuals who are already sick and then get exposed to the C. auris infection usually catch the infection.

Risk Factors

Those with certain medical conditions are more at risk. These conditions include: Having a urinary catheter, having a central venous catheter, diabetes mellitus, blood transfusion, chronic kidney disease, hemodialysis, immunosuppression (due to conditions such as HIV, being on anti-rejection medicine after an organ transplant, or cancer treatment), Surgery within the past 30 days, consumption of antibiotics or anti-fungal agents within 30 days, and treatment in an ICU.

Diagnosis Procedure

C. auris infections may not be recognized right away as they are similar to other types of infections. The only way to diagnose C. auris is by conducting a lab test. This process consists of taking a sample of the culture from the affected body part. Next, the pathogen causing the infection can be identified through a lab test.

Diagnosis Challenges

Lab testing isn’t always 100% accurate. Identifying a Candida Auris infection can be a challenge because this is a novel pathogen. Current testing methods can misidentify Candida auris by confusing them with other types of Candida. This complicates the diagnosis and treatment processes.

Prevention

Hospital and nursing facilities staff and visitors should frequently wash their hands. Cleaning medical equipment and surfaces thoroughly will help to reduce the risk of transmission. When doctors encounter a patient who has the infection they must take extra measures such as using separate equipment, moving the patient to a separate room, wearing gloves and washing hands when dealing with the patient.

Candida Auris Treatment

Treating Candida auris is not straightforward since it can be resistant to anti-fungal medications. Echinocandins is a class of antifungal medications which is the most effective for treatment. Although many people recover after taking this medication there are some cases where doctors resort to prescribing a combination of high doses of antifungals. Doctors manage it on a case-by-case basis as there isn’t a set protocol for treating drug-resistant C. auris.