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Rise of Drug-Resistant Fungus Creating Superbugs?
May 9, 2019
A decade after Candida auris was discovered, cases have been reported in more than 30 countries around the globe, according to an article on the WPTV website.
Dr. Tom Chiller, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Mycotic Diseases Branch, says the emergence of Candida auris highlights the danger of antimicrobial resistance: the rise of "superbugs."
When it comes to bacteria, drug-resistant infections affect 2 million people a year in the United States, killing at least 23,000, according to the CDC.
And drug-resistant infections more broadly could claim 10 million lives per year around the globe by 2050 -- up from today's 700,000, according to one estimate."
According to the CDC, Candida auris can travel through healthcare facilities by lingering on surfaces and medical equipment, or it can spread directly from one person to another.
In a study published in October found 70 cases of Candida auris in Oxford University Hospitals over the course of roughly 2½ years, from February 2015 to August 2017.
A hospital’s standard quaternary ammonium compound is used for everyday cleaning and works most of the time, according to an article on the Slate website. For the viruses and bacteria that survive, the hospital can use a bleach-based cleaner or other disinfectant known to kill specific organisms.
Cathryn Jakicic is healthcare industries editor of FacilitiesNet.com. For more information on hospital campuses and other medical facilities, visit Healthcare Facilities Today.
