Ep.1 Candida auris: A Resistant Fungal Infection | Medscape TV

Ep.1 Candida auris: A Resistant Fungal Infection | Medscape TV

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First described by Japanese scientists in 2009 after it was isolated from the external ear canal of an inpatient in a Japanese hospital, Candida auris has since made its appearance in more than a dozen countries on five continents.

C. auris is the first multidrug-resistant species of yeast ever identified, and unlike other types of pathogens, has been shown to be hospital-acquired. It can cause serious bloodstream infections, may spread between patients, and can survive for extended periods on common hospital room surfaces. As of July 2017, 98 cases have been reported across nine US states, with concentrations in New York and New Jersey. Up to 60% of patients infected with C. auris have died.

Infectious disease experts at Hackensack Meridian Health are on the alert for C. auris. They discuss the implications of the emerging threat of multidrug-resistant fungus and the need for increased surveillance as well as strategies for isolation, especially among those at highest risk, including intensive care and immunocompromised patients.