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Like us on Facebook for great stories every day!Although medical technology has come a long way, the viruses and infections that have been invented to treat / prevent them are too. One of the most recent and worrying cases is a fungal infection that has appeared in various parts of the world and seems to resist the main antifungal medications.
His name is Candida auris and nearly half of his victims died within 90 days of his contraction. The doctors first learned about it in 2009, when the fungus – named C. auris – was detected in the ear of a Japanese woman, according to the same source. New York Times. However, it did not trigger any alarms because it had similar characteristics to other common fungal infections that could be easily treated.
C. auris inactive on a microscope slide | Source: New York Times
Fast forward until 2018 and C. auris again made headlines – this time, for the death of an elderly man. The doctors discovered that he was infected with C. auris and quickly quarantined him in the intensive care unit. Then, 90 days later, he was pronounced dead.
Sadly, the mushroom did not go off with it, having been detected everywhere in the room, from the walls to the bed through the curtains. To make matters worse, the experts were unable to determine the origin of the fungus, as it appeared in several parts of the world, such as Australia, the United States, India and Europe.
The devastating effects of C. auris slowly unveiling, it is time that we learn what we know about this mysterious mushroom so far.
1. It's kept secret longer than we think
When there are epidemics of bacterial or fungal infections, the first reflex of most hospitals and local governments is to stay silent for fear of seeing what it could do to their reputation.
During the discovery of C. auris at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, specialist in infectious diseases, Dr. Silke Schelenz felt that the lack of urgency on the part of the government and the The British hospital was "very, very frustrating", suggesting that their reputation was a higher priority.
At the same time, a larger epidemic occurred in Valencia, Spain, where 372 people were found with the germ in their body. Of these, 85 developed a blood infection and 41% of them died within 30 days. Similar to the London Hospital, the University and Politics Hospital of La Fe did not make public announcement. An anonymous doctor shared his concerns about "the public image of the hospital".
2. It is resistant to many antifungal drugs
Public health experts have warned against the dangers of over-reliance on antibiotics to fight bacteria and fungi for a long time, mainly because they reduce the effectiveness of other drugs that can treat them. Add to that the fact that C. auris, like many other fungi, has demonstrated its ability to evolve over time to survive once effective drugs and you have a real problem.
C. auris inactive under a microscope | Source: New York Times
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that more than 90% of C. auris infections are resistant to at least one drug and 30% of them are resistant to two or more drugs. Scientists say that doctors and the public should refrain from using antibiotics whenever necessary, especially since the development of new, more effective drugs is still ongoing.
3. It's more dangerous for people whose immune system is weakened
If you have an immature or weakened immune system (newborns, elderly, smokers, diabetics, people with autoimmune disorders), you should be careful. because a C. auris infection is more likely to become fatal.
That said, the fungus can also spread to healthier populations. A study by the British government showed that if there was no policy to control our drug resistance, 10 million people worldwide could die of drug-resistant infections in 2050, which is even more than the 8 million who should die of cancer.
A diagram showing the presence of C. auris on a global scale | Source: New York Times
It may seem that the threat of C. auris is too great to be a real threat to Malaysians, but the alarming rate at which the fungus is spreading – and its infection – should not be ignored. Respect the advice of your doctor and reduce if possible your consumption of antibiotics!
Read also: The Ministry of Health warns against the increase in the number of dengue cases due to the detection of different strains of virus
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