The WHO warns of a new health hazard. A “dramatic” increase in cases of infection with a yeast fungus has been recorded in the USA.
The most important things at a glance
As early as October, the WHO warned of the spread of the yeast fungus Candida auris. Its current spread in the United States is particularly alarming. What is behind the new health threat? t-online answers the most important questions.
What is candida auris?
It is a pathogenic fungus that belongs to the yeast fungi because of its special way of growing (“yeast-like”). It was first discovered in Japan in 2009. It was detected in the ear of the 70-year-old patient, hence the name (“auris”, Latin for ear). Samples examined later indicate that a child in South Korea was infected as early as 1996. Candida auris is resistant to some antifungal drugs, including some disinfectants. It is transmitted via smear infections and can sometimes stay on surfaces for months.
What is the impact of an infection?
Healthy people can be infected asymptomatically, so they often do not notice their infection. The fungus can be dangerous for people with a weakened immune system, so it is particularly treacherous in hospitals or care facilities. Here it can be transmitted, for example, through medical instruments, catheters or breathing tubes, for example if the fungus is resistant to the disinfectants used. The WHO explains: “Candida auris is a worldwide pathogenic yeast that causes invasive candidiasis (a fungal infection – Editor’s note) in the blood, heart, central nervous system, eyes, bones and internal organs”.
Among other things, infections of the urinary tract, wounds and blood poisoning occur. Mortality, i.e. the death rate, is quite high. If the fungus attacks the internal organs, it is between 29 and 53 percent – according to the WHO.
How does the fungus spread?
In the United States, the local health authority (CDC) registered a rapid increase in cases. The infection has been notifiable in the country since 2019. The number of cases rose from 476 in 2019 to 756 in 2020 and 1,471 in 2021, a new study shows – nearly doubling the previous year.
However, the number of unreported cases is likely to be higher because the infection is not always tested and is therefore not always identified as the clear cause of the disease.
In 2022 – according to an interactive map by the CDC – there were over 2,400 confirmed cases.
Infections have been detected in 28 of the 50 US states and in the capital Washington. “That’s worrying,” said the head of the National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections, Oliver Kurzai, to the dpa: “These are significant numbers of cases, and the fungus is not even widespread in all states.”
The most threatening aspect of Candida auris is that a high percentage of the strains of the fungus found were immune to common pesticides.
How is the situation in Germany?
In this country, infections with Candida auris are still very rare. However: We are also seeing a rapid increase in cases, albeit at a low level: the fungus was detected twice in 2015, but by 2022 there were already 41 – explains Dr. Alexander-Maximilian Aldejohann from the Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology at the University of Würzburg in the “Pharmazeutische Zeitung”.
But: In Germany, an infection is not notifiable, so the number of unreported cases is likely to be higher. In Germany, around four million Germans live with a restricted immune system (e.g. due to chronic diseases and/or immunosuppression in therapy). For them, the fungus might become a danger.
Why is the fungus suddenly appearing all over the world?
In addition to the USA, countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece reported outbreaks in hospitals in Europe, and cases were also reported in England. But there are also reports regarding the fungus from other regions of the world – for example from South America, South Africa, South Asia and Japan. There is still no conclusive explanation as to why this happens. US researchers at Johns Hopkins University suspect a connection with climate change.
