‘Global health threat’ reported in WA for first time. What to know about rare infection
Lately, it seems that Pierce County residents have been hit with a plethora of uncommon medical conditions. For months, the county has had a back-and-forth quarrel with a woman diagnosed with tuberculosis, and she continues to refuse medical treatment. On July 14, a Puyallup woman was diagnosed with a tick-borne illness called anaplasmosis, the second diagnosis due to exposure in Washington.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is staying busy as it has once again identified a rare illness. On July 18, the department announced it had identified a potentially lethal infection called Candida auris in a Pierce County man at Kindred Hospital Seattle-First Hill. The department believes it is the first recorded case of the disease in Washington.
Here is what to know about the disease.
What is Candida auris?
Candida is a form of yeast that is commonly responsible for fungal infections, according to the Mayo Clinic. Candida auris, or C. auris for short, is a type of emerging yeast — a microorganism that belongs to the fungi kingdom — that is often resistant to medicines, according to the Washington State Department of Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states the infection poses a “serious global health threat.”
The fungus was first detected in Japan in 2009 and has since spread to the west, the CDC states. Over the past decade, more than 5,600 cases have been identified nationwide. The majority of cases have been reported in New York, Illinois and California, per the CDC’s tracking database. The number of confirmed cases spiked in 2020 and has only continued to increase in the U.S. year after year.
In the Pacific Northwest, nearby Oregon saw two reported cases in 2021.
The disease is potentially life-threatening, per the CDC. Invasive C. auris can cause infections in the bloodstream, a wound and in the ear. More than 1 in 3 patients that contract an invasive infection die.
Is Candida fungus infectious?
Pathogens of the fungus are known to invade the body at the multiple places, according to the Mayo Clinic:
The CDC states that the fungus can cause outbreaks in healthcare facilities. Humans can carry the fungal pathogens on the surface of their skin without being infected for weeks, which allows it to spread. This is called colonization, where a person carries the pathogens on their body but otherwise isn’t infected or displaying symptoms.
The health agency says that C. auris spreads primarily in long-term health healthcare facilities between patients with severe medical complications. The majority of people who contract the fungal infection are already sick with one or more medical conditions. Others likelier to contract the disease include:
People who frequently visit a hospital or nursing home for a long period of time
People who have breathing or feeding tubes entering their body or a central venous catheter
People who are immunocompromised
If you’re an otherwise healthy person and are not admitted to a hospital, don’t worry. Risk to healthy people is low, the CDC states.
C. auris symptoms
The most common side effects of C. auris are fever and chills, which persist even after medication, the CDC says.
The only way to confirm if someone is sick with the infection is via a lab test, according to Medical News Today. It is also monitored via the CDC’s FungiNet.
Is Candida auris fungus infection treatable?
The Mayo Clinic states that most C. auris infections are difficult to treat, but it’s possible.
Only three anti-fungal agents exist that can treat Candida infections:
- Azoles
- Echinocandins
- Amphotericin B.
- Some infections have resisted these anti-fungal agents
How to prevent Candida auris from spreading
The CDC and Washington state’s Department of Health offer some safety recommendations. These suggestions mostly apply to healthcare workers and people who have been in contact with an infected individual:
Patients and family members should thoroughly clean their hands with soap and hand sanitizer before and after making contact with one another or touching objects in the vicinity of an infected patient.
Healthcare workers should wear disposable gloves if you’re providing care to a patient.
Patients infected with the disease should be treated in their own private room.
This story was originally published July 20, 2023 at 9:37 AM.
