A drug-resistant fungus is spreading rapidly through hospitals across the United States and beyond, medical experts have cautioned.
Scientists at the Hackensack Meridian Centre for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) have revealed that candida auris (C. auris) is proliferating worldwide and showing increasing resistance to human immune defences.
The research has labelled the “superbug fungus” as an “urgent antimicrobial threat”, marking it as the first fungal pathogen to earn such a classification. This comes amid a sharp rise in American cases, according to the New York Post.
The CDC reports approximately 7,000 identified cases spanning dozens of states across America, whilst the fungus has now been detected in no fewer than 60 nations globally.
Published in the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Review, the study warns that available treatments are proving inadequate.
In a statement, researchers emphasised the urgent requirement to develop “novel antifungal agents with broad-spectrum activity against human fungal pathogens, to improve diagnostic tests and to develop immune- and vaccine-based adjunct modalities for the treatment of high-risk patients.
“In addition, future efforts should focus on raising awareness about fungal disease through developing better surveillance mechanisms, especially in resource-poor countries.
“All these developments should help improve the outcomes and prognosis of patients afflicted by opportunistic fungal infections.”
Scientists warn the fungus presents the most significant danger to critically ill individuals, especially those requiring ventilators or suffering from compromised immune systems. Dr Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone, explained: “It is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, and it tends to spread in hospital settings, including on equipment being used on immunocompromised and semi-immunocompromised patients, such as ventilators and catheters.”
He continued: “Unfortunately, symptoms such as fever, chills and aches may be ubiquitous, and it can be mistaken for other infections.”
Researchers noted that outbreaks have resulted in the closure of some hospital intensive care units.
Nevertheless, there remains hope that pharmaceutical treatments could successfully combat infections.
Dr Hugh Gifford, a clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter and co-author of the study, stated: “We think our research may have revealed an Achilles’ heel in this lethal pathogen during active infection.”
Last week, Brits taking a commonly prescribed medication were warned about four potential adverse reactions. According to the NHS, these symptoms affect more than one in every 100 patients.
The health service’s website provides details about clopidogrel, an antiplatelet drug. Also sold under the brand names Grepid and Plavix, the medication functions by stopping platelets from clustering together and forming potentially dangerous blood clots.
Doctors usually prescribe this to patients at an increased risk of clot formation to help prevent heart attacks, strokes, or other serious cardiovascular complications. However, like all medicines, it carries the potential for certain side effects.