Health: Alert for a deadly fungus that attacks the world and reaches countries in the region

A fungus called Candida auris is spreading around the world. It concerns long-term hospitalized patients, especially in intensive care units, and is difficult to eradicate because it is resistant to most drugs. Until now, no reports have been reported in Argentina, although in other countries in the region.

It was first identified in 2009 in a Japanese patient. Since then, there have been cases on different continents, especially in countries such as South Korea, South Africa, Kuwait, and India. In October 2016, the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization issued an alert "before the first outbreaks in Latin America" ​​because there had been cases in Venezuela, Colombia and Colombia. in the USA.

He settled in New York (309 confirmed cases), Illinois (144) and New Jersey (104). As a result, at the end of March, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement warning that this fungus "poses a serious threat to global health". .

In this report, the CDC also published a map of the world situation. Argentina is in white, which means that no case has been reported before February 2019.

Constanza Taverna, from the Department of Mycology of the Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán Institute, consulted by Clarín, confirms that it has been reported "no case so far" in our country. When asked if he is able to install, he responds that he "can go anywhere."

& # 39; In November 2016, the alert began with PAHO / WHO. We have also issued a statement alerting all laboratories because we have a network of laboratories, which has also been published by the Argentine Association of Microbiology, "says Taverna. In this text, they explain how to identify Candida auris and how to manage these cases.

"What we have is the diagnostic ability to detect it, and that is why we are preparing the labs so that they know how to function when receiving a strain." We give training courses and we communicate all the time with all laboratories, "adds the expert.

Taverna points out that "this is not a virus", but that they are called "opportunistic pathogens". He adds: "In general, this concerns immunocompromised patients, patients hospitalized for several days, antibiotics administered for several days and catheters."

When asked if he can be brought by an infected person to another country then to go to Argentina, he answers "yes, he persists in the bodies", although he repeats that " it is not a virus "and that it occurs in a hospital setting. . In addition, explains that "now, like any warning, do not take the patient out until they do not take certain samples and it is determined that it does not". no more in the body ".

For his part, Dr. Eduardo López, infectious disease specialist at Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, told Clarín: "In the hospital, where the immunocompromised population is important, we have no case of Candida auris. . But that does not exclude that in the future it will appear.

When asked if these mushrooms can be brought by people who travel or emigrate, he answers "yes, these mushrooms are distributed in the environment and can possibly be transported by a person, but to be affected, they must be generally hospitalized, immunocompromised patients. or with treatments that lower the defenses. And he points out: "a normal individual is not going to catch him".

"There is a national alert for multidrug-resistant germs, and there are as many bacteria as mushrooms included. Let's not forget that in recent years, the resistance to antifungals of several fungi has increased. The same thing has happened with antibiotics for several bacteria. These are what are called mushrooms and intrahospital bacteria, "continues López.

With regard to prevention methods, he points out that one should wash one's hands frequently, wearing gloves and a camisole to handle the sick, especially the immunocompromised, who are the most affected. Procedures such as catheterization, bladder catheters and bypbad valves are also risk factors for fungus acquisition.

Source: Clarín

EB