'It's a cautionary tale': CDC official highlights gaps in infection control amid deadly spreading fungus
For weeks, the Atlanta-based CDC has warned that Georgia is one of the states where a deadly fungus has been spreading “at an alarming rate” in health care facilities.
CDC officials note in general, Candida auris is not a threat to healthy people. But it is resistant to multiple anti-fungal drugs and is infecting the sickest and most vulnerable.
People who are more medically fragile — especially those with long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities — are more likely to become infected. The fungus spreads through contact with contaminated environmental surfaces or equipment, or from person to person.
Most C. auris infections are treatable with a class of antifungal drugs called echinocandins. However, the CDC notes some infections have been resistant to all three main classes of antifungal medications — making treatment more difficult.
Dr. Meghan Lyman is a chief medical officer in the CDC’s Mycotic Diseases Branch. Lyman sat down with WABE’s “Morning Edition” and put into perspective just how prevalent the fungus truly is here in Georgia.
Lily Oppenheimer contributed to this report.
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