Candida auris Fungal Infection Cases Sharply Rise in the U.S.

 Candida auris Fungal Infection Cases Sharply Rise in the U.S.

 

A new fungus danger called Candida auris was initially discovered in 2016. A group of researchers used national surveillance data to examine current changes in the epidemiology of Candida auris happening from 2019 to 2021 to comprehend the scope of its expansion in the United States.

 

According to the study, Candida auris incidence sharply increased between 2019 and 2021, indicating increased transmission. More specifically, through December 31, 2021, a total of 3270 clinical cases and 7413 screening cases of C. auris were recorded in the United States. From a 44% increase in 2019 to a 95% increase in 2021, the percentage increase in clinical cases increased yearly.

 

Echinocandins are the first-line therapy for invasive Candida infections, including Candida auris, therefore the researchers also found a rise in echinocandin-resistant cases and transmission evidence. Our findings highlight the urgent need for enhanced infection control and detection procedures to stop the spread of C. auris.

 

The study is included in the paper "Worsening spread of Candida auris in the United States, 2019 to 2021" which appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

 

Due to its high mortality rates, antibiotic resistance, and ease of dissemination in healthcare settings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified Candida auris as an "urgent threat," the highest category of concern. The majority of transmission takes place in hospitals, particularly among patients using mechanical ventilators, indwelling equipment, or inhabitants of long-term care facilities.

 

To summarize current changes in the U.S. epidemiology of C. auris between 2019 and 2021, CDC researchers examined national surveillance data on clinical and screening C. auris cases reported to state and local health departments and the CDC. Data from the CDC's Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network was also evaluated (AR Lab Network).

 

The data also show that colonization screening volume and screening cases increased in 2021 by more than 80% and more than 200%, respectively, in addition to the data showing an increase in clinical cases each year, from a 44% increase in 2019 to a 95% increase in 2021. In 2021, there were around three times as many C. auris patients that were resistant to first-line therapy as there had been in either of the previous two years.

 

The timing of this increased C. auris spread and findings from public health investigations, according to the authors, suggest that it may have been made worse by pandemic-related strain on the healthcare and public health systems, including staff and equipment shortages, increased patient burden, and disease severity, increased antimicrobial use, changes in patient movement patterns, and subpar application of non-COVID-19 IPC measures.