Deadly, drug-resistant fungus spreading at ‘alarming rate,’ CDC warns

A fungal superbug is spreading through hospitals and nursing homes at an 'alarming rate,' with the CDC recently calling it an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat.

A fungal superbug called Candida auris is spreading through hospitals and nursing homes at an “alarming rate,” with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently calling it an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat.

Last week, the CDC warned about the increasing threat of Candida auris, also called C. auris, as it not only is highly resistant to multiple antifungal drugs but also can withstand common hospital disinfectants.

This worry extends beyond the U.S.

Since the pathogen was first discovered in Japan in 2009, it has spread worldwide, triggering prolonged and challenging outbreaks in hospitals and long-term care homes, including in Canada.

In January, Public Health Ontario officially labelled the fungal pathogen a “disease of public health significance.” This means it’s now considered a public health risk and needs to be closely monitored, with measures in place to prevent and control its spread.

“Candida auris is a yeast species,” said Jason Tetro, a microbiologist based in Edmonton and a specialist in emerging pathogens.

“It’s a normal colonizer of the skin, and it can essentially hang out and do absolutely no harm to you. But if it happens to get into the mucous membrane areas or happens to get into your bloodstream, it can cause an infection and that can lead to significant problems.”

The mortality rate for those infected can be as high as 50 to 60 per cent, he said. Tetro emphasized that the pathogen is especially dangerous for people with compromised immune systems.