A group of scientists has raised the alarm about a drug-resistant strain of a common fungus, labelling it a ‘global health threat’.
Candida auris (C. Auris), a type of yeast, can cause severe illness and is easily transmitted among critically ill patients in healthcare settings.
The fungus can cause anything from mild skin infections to more serious, potentially fatal conditions such as bloodstream infections.
Alarmingly, it often develops resistance to antifungal medications, meaning it can outsmart the drugs intended to eliminate it.
This resistance can render medical treatments ineffective. Each year, nearly 6.5 million people globally are affected by fungal infections.
(Image: iStockphoto/Minerva Studio)
The challenge in treating these infections can lead to a mortality rate exceeding 50%, reports Surrey Live.
C. Auris poses a particular risk to individuals with compromised immune systems.
First identified in 2009 in a Japanese patient’s ear canal, it has since been found worldwide and was declared a public health threat in India in 2014.
C. Auris can infect various parts of the body, including the blood, wounds, and ears.
Symptoms depend on the location and severity of the infection. They may resemble those of bacterial infections, such as fever or chills, but there isn’t a standard set of symptoms specific to C. auris infections.
“Candida auris (Candidozyma auris) is an emerging human fungal pathogen causing disseminated infections of high mortality (30–72%) in individuals with underlying diseases or impaired immunity,” the study reads.
“The pronounced skin tropism and pan-antifungal resistance of Candida auris pose a serious global health threat. A key question in C. auris biology is how clinical isolates acquire amphotericin B resistance.”
Individuals can harbour C. auris on their skin and elsewhere on their body without displaying any symptoms.
Medical professionals describe this condition as ‘colonisation. ‘ Those who are colonised have the ability to transmit C. auris to surfaces and objects in their vicinity, as well as to other patients.
The research highlights that this fungus is swiftly developing drug resistance through its capacity to transform from a yeast-like structure to a filament-based spreading mechanism. Additionally, it possesses cell wall proteins that allow it to adhere to human skin “like glue” and establish colonies.
This pathogen comes equipped with “efflux pumps” located on its cellular membrane that can expel antifungal medications before they have the chance to destroy it. It also clusters together to create sticky biofilm layers on surfaces, making it challenging for treatments to penetrate effectively.
Rohini Manuel, consultant medical microbiologist at UKHSA, explained: “C. auris rarely causes infections in healthy people although it can pose a risk to people in healthcare settings with weakened immune systems. Rates of C. auris in hospitals in England are very low, however they have been rising in recent years.
“UKHSA is working with the NHS to investigate the reasons behind this. Factors may include a rise in the fungus globally. Hospital outbreaks in this country are rare but we are supporting a small number of Trusts to limit the spread of C. auris.”
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