Since 2016, New York City has faced increasing records of cases of infection by the superfungus Candida auris. The fungus is considered rare and dangerous, having been the epicenter for this contamination in the United States until 2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – an agency equivalent to Anvisa in Brazil.
This species of fungus has been present in the US since at least 2013, and, according to CDC data obtained by the “Associated Press” agency, it has been spreading.
VIDEO: Scientists describe the largest outbreak of Candida auris in Brazil
Candida auris represents a serious threat to public health due to its ability to resist the main antifungal drugs, with high levels of mortality.
The fungus was first reported in humans in Japan in 2009, in a case of otomycosis. Since then, it has been reported on all continents except Antarctica.
The first case of C. auris in Brazil it was identified in November 2020, in a 59-year-old patient admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in Salvador, Bahia.
But it was between November 2021 and February 2022 that the biggest outbreak in the country was recorded, with 48 confirmed cases in a hospital in Recife (PE).
In the US, the AP analysis revealed that most cases in 2022 were reported in Nevada and California, in addition to 27 other states.
Scientists believe that climate change may be the cause of the rise in infections in humans, because the temperature of our bodies – and that of other mammals – was higher than most fungi could withstand.
However, the global increase in temperatures may have caused fungi to develop greater resistance.
“We have tremendous protection against environmental mold because of our temperature. However, if the world is getting warmer and the fungi are also starting to adapt to higher temperatures. Some will hit what I call a temperature barrier,” Arturo Casadevall, a microbiologist, immunologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University, told The Associated Press.
Also in an interview with the AP, Meghan Marie Lyman, CDC medical epidemiologist for the mycotic diseases branch, pointed out that it is possible that the fungus has always been among the microorganisms that live in the human body, but were only investigated when they began to cause health problems. health.
“There are also many questions about increased contact with humans and the intrusion of humans into nature, and there have been many changes in the environment and the use of fungi in agriculture. These things may have allowed Candida auris to escape into a new environment or expand its niche.”
Candida auris risks
Unlike most environmental fungi, the C. auris it tolerates high temperatures from 37°C to 42°C. In addition, it has the ability to survive adverse environmental conditions for long periods, adapting outside the human host.
These characteristics increase the risk of nosocomial outbreaks, as colonization and infections can originate from environmental sources, such as contaminated medical devices and health care workers’ hands.
The fungus can cause bloodstream infection and other invasive infections that can be fatal, particularly in immunocompromised patients or those with comorbidities.
Another negative aspect is that patients can remain colonized by this microorganism for a long time, without infection, favoring its spread to other people and the occurrence of outbreaks in health services.
(Posted by Tiago Tortella)
Source: CNN Brasil
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