A drug-resistant fungus is spreading across the United States, including the states of Illinois, Indiana, & Kentucky, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the fungus, known as Candida Auris or C. Auris, poses a "serious global health threat."

Why The CDC is Concerned About Candida Auris

The CDC says that this particular fungus is resistant to multiple, or even all of the current antifungal treatments available. They also say that Candida Auris can be difficult to properly identify, making management of the fungus more difficult. The health organization also warns that the fungus has resulted in outbreaks in healthcare facilities.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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CDC Tracking Candida Auris

The CDC has been tracking clinical cases of Candida Auris across the United States, and they have released that data by state. In 2022, there were reportedly 276 confirmed cases of Candida Auris in Illinois, 87 confirmed cases in Indiana, and 22 cases in Kentucky. In fact, there were confirmed cases in every state in America in 2022, except for one - Iowa. Nevada topped the list with 384 confirmed clinical cases.

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What the Indiana Department of Health is Saying

The Indiana Department of Health has echoed the concerns of the CDC by again, calling this fungus a "global health threat."  The Indiana Department of Health says,

C. auris is resistant to many of the antifungal drugs commonly used to treat infections. C. auris can cause many different types of infection, such as bloodstream, wound, urinary tract, and ear. Invasive C. auris infections have been associated with 30-60% mortality rates among hospitalized patients.

[Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Indiana Department of Health]

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