Climate of Secrecy Surrounds a Drug Resistant Fungus?

After a patient died after 90 days being admitted in Mount Sinai Hospital, why is there a so-called climate of secrecy surrounding Candida auris – a deadly drug-resistant fungus?

By: Ringo Bones

An elderly man died from the fungus last year at Mount Sinai Hospital following abdominal surgery and yet the Trump Administration had never issued a public health warning. A drug-resistant superbug fungus variant of Candida auris has sickened nearly 600 people across the United States in recent years, including more than 300 patients in New York State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported. Candida auris, a fungus that normally preys on people with weakened immune systems can be deadly if not treated properly. “Most Candida auris cases in the United States have been detected in the New York City area, New Jersey and the Chicago area,” the CDC said in a statement. The fungus was seen in the United States for the first time in 2013, Dr. Lynn Sosa, Connecticut’s deputy state epidemiologist had told The New York Times that she views Candida auris as “pretty much unbeatable and difficult to identify.” But why is it that the so-called “veil of secrecy” surrounding Candida auris has just been recently lifted and at most without the attendant press fanfare?

According to the CDC, symptoms of the fungus may be difficult to detect because patients are often already sick and only a lab test can identify the superbug. Candida auris can cause different types of infections, including bloodstream infection, wound infection and ear infection. People that recently had surgery, live in nursing homes, or who have breathing tubes, feeding tubes or central venous catheters appear to be at highest risk. “Based on information from a limited number of patients, 30 to 60-percent of people with C. auris infections have died. However, many of these people had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death,” the CDC said.

While most Candida auris infections are treatable with antifungal medications, the CDC says its concerned that some variants of the fungus have proven to be resistant to all three main classes of antifungal medications. “In this situation, multiple antifungal medications at high doses may be needed to treat the infection.” The CDC said.