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one Deadly fungi that could be considered superbugs The virus is spreading across the country and thousands of people have been infected as it becomes resistant to all types of antibiotics, according to health officials.
Candida auris, an invasive yeast that can cause fatal infections in people with weakened immune systems, has reportedly infected at least 7,000 people in 27 U.S. states. data From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC says the fungus, which spreads easily in health care settings like hospitals and nursing homes, is increasing in virulence and spreading at an “alarming” rate.
Certain strains of fungi are particularly troublesome and are even considered superbugs because they are resistant to all types of antibiotics used to treat fungal infections, hills Report.
While healthy people may be able to fight off the infection on their own, the fungus can be deadly, especially in healthcare settings, where it can spread quickly among vulnerable populations.
“If you get this pathogen that’s not resistant to any treatment, we can’t give you any treatment to help you fight it. You’re on your own,” said Melissa Nolan, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina. Tell Nexstar.
The fungus’s resistance to antibiotics makes it particularly difficult to control. Currently, more than half of states reported clinical cases of C. auris in 2025, according to CDC data.
Another reason the fungus is of such concern to health officials is that it can survive on surfaces, Nolan said.
“Generally speaking, it’s really good at blending into its environment,” Nolan explains. “So if you put it on a patient’s bed, for example, on a railing, and you go and wipe everything down, if somehow there might be several pathogens that don’t get cleaned up, then they become resistant. So over time, they can grow and multiply in the hospital environment.”
Candida auris is also dangerous because it is difficult to identify with standard laboratory tests.
“The rapid increase and geographic distribution of cases is concerning and underscores the need for continued surveillance, expanded laboratory capacity, faster diagnostic testing, and compliance with proven infection prevention and control,” CDC epidemiologist Dr. Megan Lyman said in a release.
The number of cases now stands at just over 7,000, the report said, quickly approaching last year’s record-breaking figure of more than 7,500 cases.
one Recent studies have found that C. auris is increasing in virulence and spreading rapidly, Not just in the United States, but globally.
Candida auris has been found in at least 61 countries on six continents.
The study also found that the fungus is rapidly becoming resistant to drugs due to its ability to switch from a yeast-like growth form to a filament-driven form of transmission. It also contains protein-containing cell walls that allow it to stick to human skin “like glue” and colonize it.
“Skin colonization 100 ears This is an important medical issue because colonized patients may facilitate nosocomial and nosocomial transmission 100 ears ” The study was published in Reviews of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, soops.
The fungus has “efflux pumps” on its cell membrane that clear it before antifungal drugs can kill it. It also sticks together to form a layer on the surface, making it more difficult for drugs to penetrate.
It’s unclear whether the fungus has other ways of resisting the drugs, the study said. “Diagnosed as 100 ears Infections are often hampered by misidentification, leading to delays in initiating appropriate antifungal therapy,” the review explains.
“Taken together, these data highlight the need to develop novel antifungal agents with broad-spectrum activity against human fungal pathogens, improve diagnostic tests, and develop immune- and vaccine-based adjunctive modalities to treat high-risk patients.”
The study calls for better ways to monitor the fungus, especially in resource-poor countries, and to increase awareness of the disease.