- The first time the Candida Auris fungus was detected was in a patient from South Korea in 2009.
- The fungus is resistant to all current antifungal drugs and therefore most affected patients die within a maximum period of 90 days.
- While the first cases detected in Mexico occurred in a hospital in Nuevo León at the end of 2020.
Many times it is thought that humanity’s greatest enemies are large, but this is not necessarily the case. Microorganisms like Candida auris fungus are capable of causing damage of great proportions. In fact, the consequences are already visible and that is why it is time to act immediately instead of waiting because the problem may be even greater.
To put in context, the The medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine published an article about the current situation in the United States. From the official records of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) its rapid spread is observed.
During 2021, 3,270 clinical cases and 7,413 detection cases were identified in the American Union. The percentage increase in clinical cases grew each year and went from an increase of 44% in 2019 to one of 95% in 2021.
For his part, Between 2019 and 2021, it was reported that 17 states identified their first case of Candida auris. While the number of cases that were resistant to echinocandins in 2021 was approximately three times higher than in each of the previous two years.
This is a particularly dangerous microorganism because it resists treatment with the most common antifungal medications. The pathogen is present in more than 30 countries and was first reported in the United States in 2016, in the states of New York and Illinois.
Additionally, it is reported that cases and transmission increased dramatically during 2021. These findings highlight the need to improve infection detection and control practices to prevent its spread.
What is the fungus Candida Auris?
This is such a new problem that for now it has not been possible to accurately identify the causes of its appearance or an ideal treatment. All that is known is that it tends to attack people with weak immune systems and is mainly acquired in hospitals.
The Candida auris fungus was first detected in a patient from South Korea in 2009. After a decade, it has also been identified in people from India, Venezuela, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The symptoms of this mysterious fungus are similar to other ailments. This causes that at first it is not given enough importance because it is confused with other minor problems. In the patient it usually causes fever, pain throughout the body and tiredness. It is when it enters the bloodstream of people that it causes dangerous, life-threatening infections.
First cases detected in Mexico
While in Mexico the first cases were detected at the end of 2020. At the time the Ministry of Health (SSa) issued an alert because at least 10 cases were confirmed inside a hospital in Nuevo León.
While from then on one of the world indications is that people hospitalized with Covid-19 are the ones at the greatest risk.
For now, the concern of specialists is that the fungus is resistant to all current antifungal drugs. This causes the majority of affected patients to die within a maximum period of 90 days.
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