LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A potentially deadly fungus has been rapidly spreading across the country inside healthcare facilities, and the CDC and other health experts have been keeping a close eye on the spread.
The fungus is called Candida Auris, and there are currently no cases of it in the state. Though the Arkansas Department of Health isn't too concerned about it they're still staying alert.
“It's been around or known about since about 2009, it first popped up in Asia and the U.S. saw its first case in 2013,” said Dr. Atul Kothari, the Medical Director of Outbreak Prevention and Response Branch at the Arkansas Department of Health.
Although Candida Auris has been around for years, it's in the spotlight right now as concerns over more cases popping up across the country have grown.
“It’s one of the yeasts which can be very drug-resistant, so resistant to a lot of antifungals which we routinely use,” said Dr. Kothari. “And then the other thing that we are noticing is that it is easily transmissible.”
Dr. Kothari said that although it's easily transmissible, it's more of a concern inside healthcare facilities than out and about in the general public.
“It mostly affected people who have been in ICUs or hospitals for long periods of time being on the ventilator,” said Dr. Kothari. “So, in some of those cases, it led to bloodstream infections.”
Currently, there have been zero cases in Arkansas but there was one reported last year.
“The patient most likely got an infection in Texas and then moved to Arkansas,” said Dr. Kothari. “We screened a lot of people associated with that case and did not find any colonization. So that's great.”
Health experts continue working to learn more about the fungus and how it can affect different people.
“Not everybody who was colonized with Candid Auris ends up getting the infection,” said Dr. Kothari. “So why do some people get it, and others don't in the same setting? In the ICU? We don't really know.”