What is deadly Candida auris and what are the symptoms?

Source: The post is based on the article “What is deadly Candida auris and what are the symptoms?” published in TOI on 23rd March 2023

What is the News?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have warned about an “emerging fungus” — Candida auris — in the US, adding that it poses a “serious global health threat“.

What is Candida Auris?

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Who is vulnerable to Candida Auris?

Candida Auris is not a threat to healthy people. People who are very sick, have invasive medical devices or have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities are at increased risk for acquiring C. auris.

C.auris spreads easily in healthcare facilities and can cause severe infections with high death rates.

Is it similar to candida infection, a common yeast infection?

Common candidiasis causes white discharge, which is easily treatable with antifungals. On the other hand, C. auris presents a completely different picture.Its symptoms may not be noticeable because patients with C. auris infection are often those who are already sick and are in the hospital with another serious illness.

Limitations:

Despite the growing concern, fungal infections tend to receive very little attention and resources, leading to a scarcity of quality data on fungal disease distribution and antifungal resistance patterns.

WHO further states that the exact burden of fungal diseases and antifungal resistance become unknown and therefore “the response is undermined”.

Should India be worried about Candida Auris?

India need not be concerned. It doesn’t spread through aerosols normally, so cannot become an epidemic.