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Candida auris is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spread easily among sick patients in healthcare facilities – and it’s often resistant to antifungal medications designed to kill it
A group of scientists has raised the alarm, declaring a drug-resistant strain of a common fungus as a ‘global health threat.’
Candida auris (C. Auris), a yeast species, is notorious for causing severe illnesses and also rapidly spreading among patients who are in healthcare settings.
Its manifestations can range from mild skin infections to more critical conditions like bloodstream infections. Alarmingly, it often exhibits resistance to antifungal medications, enabling the fungus to outsmart drugs intended to eliminate it. This resistance often leaves medical professionals at a loss for treatment options. Each year, nearly 6.5 million people globally grapple with fungal infections.
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Significant risk
The challenge in effectively treating these infections can lead to a mortality rate exceeding 50%, reports the Mirror.
C. Auris poses a significant risk especially to individuals with compromised immune systems. First identified in 2009 in a Japanese patient’s ear canal, it has since been detected worldwide and was recognized as a public health menace in India in 2014.
C. Auris can trigger infections in various parts of the body such as the blood, wounds, and ears. Symptoms are contingent on the location and severity of the infection. They may mimic those of bacterial infections, like fever or chills, but there isn’t a standard set of symptoms exclusive 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 may harbor C. auris on their skin and throughout their bodies without displaying any warning signs.
Medical professionals call this condition ‘colonization. ‘ Those who are colonized have the ability to transfer C. auris to nearby surfaces and items, as well as to fellow patients.
Fungus developing drug resistance
The research highlights how this fungus is swiftly developing drug resistance through its capacity to transform from a yeast-like state into a thread-like spreading mechanism. Additionally, it possesses cell wall proteins that allow it to adhere to human skin “like glue” and establish colonies.
This pathogen comes armed with “efflux pumps” located on its cellular membrane that can expel antifungal medications before they prove lethal. It also clusters together to create sticky biofilm coatings on surfaces, making it challenging for treatments to break through.
Rohini Manuel, consultant medical microbiologist at UKHSA stated: “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.”
