Candida auris: Deadly fungal infection spreads in US, likely linked to climate change say experts
public health threat that can cause severe illness, including bloodstream, wound and respiratory infections. In a small group of patients in the United States, its mortality rate was estimated at 30% to 60%, according to the CDC, and many of those patients had other underlying conditions. Candida auris is a particular risk in healthcare settings for people already with serious medical problems.
Last year, the most cases were found in Nevada and California, but the fungus was identified clinically in patients in 29 states. New York state remains a major hotspot. Also read: Chandrayaan-3 landing: PM Modi to witness the historic moment from South Africa A prominent theory for the sudden explosion of Candida auris, which was not found in humans anywhere until 2009, is climate change.
Humans and other mammals have warmer body temperatures than most fungal pathogens can tolerate, so have historically been protected from most infections. However, rising temperatures can allow fungi to develop tolerance to warmer environments, and over time humans may lose resistance. Some researchers think this is what is already happening with Candida auris.
The pathogen emerged spontaneously 14 years ago on three continents, in Venezuela, India, and South Africa. Fungal disease expert Arturo Casadevall, a microbiologist, immunologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University, said this was puzzling, because the climates in these places are quite different. “We have tremendous protection against environmental fungi because of our temperature.
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