What is Candida auris
Candida auris is a yeast that causes a serious hostile infection and leads to severe illness. The yeast is said to be stubborn to normally used antifungal medications meaning it’s very difficult to cure.
Modernized laboratory methods are needed to correctly identify C. auris. Old laboratory techniques and equipment could lead to misidentification and inappropriate management, making it difficult to control the spread of C. auris in healthcare facilities.
Read also: Hodgkin Lymphoma, Causes, Signs, Symptoms, Treatment
Types of infections caused by Candida auris
- Ear infection
- Bloodstream infection
- Wound infection
Origin of Candida auris
It originated from Japan where it was first identified in 2009. Additionally, CDC considers it as an emerging pathogen this is because a good number of infections have been noted in many countries since the first case was identified.
Read also: Bleeding gums, causes, prevention, and cure
Why Candida auris is rasing concern on CDC
- It is multi-drug resistant.
- Its outbreak spreads quickly especially in the healthcare setting and once identified in a patient kin precautions must be put in place.
- It is not easy to identify especially in laboratories without specific technology and such labs can misidentify it and this will lead to mismanagement and therefore it will be difficult to control.
- It has caused outbreaks in healthcare facilities. For this reason, it is important to quickly identify C. auris in a hospitalized patient so that healthcare facilities can take special precautions to stop its spread.
Read also: What is Hepatitis A, Causes, Symptoms, Vaccine, Treatment, Transmission,
Who is at risk.
- It can infect any age bracket
- Those how have recently undergone surgery
- Diabetic patients
- Prolonged use of broad-spectrum antibiotic and antifungal use
- Those who have spent time on nursing homes and also have lines and tubes that go into the body which might be central venous catheters and even breathing tubes.
Read also: Hospitals offering Vasectomy in Kenya, Cost, Uptake, History
Treatment for Candida auris
According to professionals Candida auris can be treated with some class of antifungal medicines called echinocandins. To some of its infections that resist three main classes of antifungal medications multiple classes of antifungals at high doses are used to cure the infection.
Candida auris Diagnosis
Its diagnosis is done by blood culture.