Candida Auris

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Context: A deadly drug-resistant fungus is spreading across the US.

Details:

About:

Candida Auris is a type of fungus that grows like yeast.
One of the few species of the Candida genus that causes candidiasis in humans.
First reported in Japan in 2009
The CDC puts the mortality rate at 30-60%.

Contraction:

Most fungal infections have been reported in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Usually spread by contact with contaminated surfaces or by person-to-person transmission.

Impact:

The fungus can live in specific areas, such as the skin, rectum, or mouth, in a process known as "asymptomatic colonization," where the patient has no symptoms but can spread it to other people.
Or can get into the blood or wound that can cause serious invasive infection.

Symptoms:

The most common symptoms of Candida Auris include fever and chills that do not go away after treatment with antibiotics.
But it is difficult to diagnose because many other diseases share these symptoms.

Treatment:

Although most fungal infections can be treated with antifungal drugs called echinocandins, scientists are concerned about the increasing number of cases that are becoming resistant to the three main classes of antifungals.
This means that doctors must mix large amounts of drugs in high doses with varying degrees of success to treat patients.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q) What is Candida Auris? What are the reasons for increasing anti-fungal drug resistance? (150 words)