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Morning Medtalks with Dr K K Aggarwal
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New Delhi, April 23, 2019 ;
1.Candida auris (C. auris), an emerging fungus which can cause deadly bloodstream and infections in people with weakened immune systems, has presented a serious global health threat
2.Currently, there are 617 clinical cases of C. auris reported in the United States as of Feb. 28, including 587 confirmed and 30 probable cases, according to the CDC.
3.Most C. auris cases in the United States have been detected in the New York City area, New Jersey, and the Chicago area.
4.It is highly drug-resistant, which means it is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs commonly used to treat Candida infections.
5.It is transmitted in healthcare facilities. For this reason, it is important to quickly identify C. auris in a hospitalized patient so that healthcare facilities can take special precautions to stop its spread.
6.It is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and it can be misidentified in labs without specific technology. Misidentification may lead to inappropriate management.
7.Since 2016, increasing numbers of infections have been reported from various American states, and from over 20 countries.
8.According to the CDC, 30 to 60 percent of people with C. auris infections have died.
9.Most C. auris infections are treatable with a class of anti-fungal drugs called echinocandins. However, some C. auris infections have been resistant to all three main classes of anti-fungal medications, making them more difficult to treat.
10.He said the infection would not pose threats to healthy people, as it always hits those with severe sickness. There is no need for the public to worry about it.
The mainstay of infection control measures for C. auris in acute care hospitals and high acuity post-acute care settings is as follows:
- Placing the patient with C. auris in a single-patient room and using Standard and Contact Precautions.
- Emphasizing adherence to hand hygiene.
- Cleaning and disinfecting patient care environment and reusable equipment (daily and terminal cleaning) with recommended products.
- Inter-facility communication about patient’s C. auris status at transfer to another healthcare facility.
- Screening contacts of newly identified case patients to identify C. auris colonization.
- Conduct surveillance for new cases to detect ongoing transmission.
The author of this article is Dr K K Aggarwal, Padma Shri Awardee
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