The world around us is an interconnected web of creatures all trying to survive. As the environment changes, some creatures will become extinct and pass from the scene. New species are always developing. We have a place in this world. We should not be complacent that we have mastered the world around us and the threats is presents because we have not. We are constantly facing new threats. An example is a new fungus, candida auris (C. auris) that is resistant to our defenses against other fungal infections.
First identified about fifteen years ago in Japan, C. auris has come to the United States. It has been reported here in Arizona as well. It is a hardy form of yeast that can live for weeks on surfaces and medical instruments. It can be transmitted from person to person by personal contact and is resistant to most antibiotics and fungicides we have today.
Like many predators in nature, C. auris preys most effectively on the weakest among us. Younger people with healthy immune systems can be exposed to it and carry it around without any consequences to themselves. It can be deadly, however, to those with immune systems weakened by age or illness. For this reason, C. auris flourishes in nursing homes, hospitals and other health care facilities. Once established, it is very difficult to dislodge.
People who live in nursing homes or who have multiple hospital visits are the most likely to encounter this deadly fungus. Other factors which increase the risk of deadly infection with C. auris are diabetes, a catheter, feeding tube, or breathing tube, leukemia or lymphoma or any other blood cancer, any condition which weakens the immune system, and treatment with multiple courses of antibiotics.
When a person is exposed to C. auris, they often become colonized by it. If it gets into the bloodstream, it can be fatal. Because it is resistant to most antifungals and antibiotics, multiple courses of a variety of medications may be necessary to get the infection under control and save the life of the patient. Even after the infection is brought under control, however, the patient usually remains colonized and able to infect others. For this reason, the CDC recommends indefinite isolation for those infected with C. auris.
Because C. auris usually does not cause illness in otherwise healthy people, it is difficult to tell if you have been colonized by it. Even when it does cause symptoms, they are usually non-specific, such as fever and chills. As a result, a C. auris infection is difficult to recognize and diagnose. If you have immunocompromised loved ones, it is best to assume you are carrying something, maybe not C. auris, but something that can harm them, if you do not observe good hygiene. Wash your hands frequently and avoid sharing objects that have been in close contact with you.
Even if we don’t realize it, a constant battle for survival is going on around us at all times. Take the usual precautions your mother always suggested and you will have the best chance of remaining healthy and keeping those around you healthy as well.
