Candida Auris- Deadly Bacteria CDC Warns Could Be the Next Pandemic

(TJVNEWS.COM) Candida Auris is the “perfect pathogen,” scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, theorizing that the yeast-like fungal infection could be the cause of the next pandemic.

Should the fungus enter the bloodstream, it will almost certainly become fatal, the CDC wrote

From CDC:

Can a person die from infection with C. Auris?

Yes. Invasive infections with any Candida species can be fatal. We don’t know if patients with invasive C. Auris infection are more likely to die than patients with other invasive Candida infections. Based on information from a limited number of patients, 30–60% of people with C. Auris infections have died. However, many of these people had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death.

How does C. Auris spread?

C. Auris can spread in healthcare settings through contact with contaminated environmental surfaces or equipment, or from person to person. More work is needed to further understand how it spreads.

 

First identified in 2009, Candida Auris is almost impervious to antifungal drugs, London’s Imperial College epidemiologist Johanna Rhodes told New Scientist

“One of the things that make Candida Auris so scary is the fact it can linger on inanimate surfaces for long periods and withstand whatever you throw at it,” Rhodes said.