Share:
Health risk New yeast fungus can be very dangerous for humans
A newly discovered yeast fungus currently worries health professionals. Candida auris, first discovered in 2009, can cause infections that can be extremely dangerous for some people. Even deaths have been associated with it.
Dangerous yeast fungus on the rise
Last fall, the US Department of Health (CDC) reported a new fungal disease, which in some cases is fatal. The yeast Candida auris was therefore associated with several deaths in the United States. The fungus was first detected in a patient in Japan in 2009. But now he is also rampant in many other countries. Experts from Germany and Austria have therefore now prepared an opinion in which they recommend increased attention, but at the same time warn of unnecessary alarmism.
In several countries, a dangerous yeast fungus is currently spreading. Candida auris can have fatal consequences for some groups of people. Many diagnostic laboratories are not yet prepared for the new pathogen. (Image: science photo / fotolia.com) Infection can be life threatening
Many microorganisms live on the skin, including yeasts. Fungi of the species Candida can be detected in about 75 percent of humans. With a healthy immune system, the yeast fungus on the skin and mucous membranes are usually no problem.
They live on the skin without being noticed. And even if they lead to yeast infections of the skin, simple home remedies for candida can often help.
However, when the new yeast Candida auris enters the bloodstream, the infection that often occurs in hospitals and other health care facilities can become life-threatening.
"Candida auris can get into the bloodstream of the infected and cause a sepsis, a so-called blood poisoning," said Professor Oliver Kurzai in a message that was published by the Information Service Science (idw).
The physician heads the National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections (NRZMyk) in Jena and has held the chair of Medical Microbiology and Mycology at the University of Würzburg since the beginning of 2017.
At the same time, the fungus can not always be reliably identified during routine routine examinations and difficult to treat due to widespread resistance.
Therefore, increased attention is required from medical staff. For the population, however, according to the experts, there is no reason for concern. "For a healthy person, Candida auris is not a threat," said Kurzai.
Several cases registered in Germany
CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a press release last year, "We need to act now to better understand, control and delay the spread of this drug-resistant mushroom."
But apparently the distribution could not be stopped yet. In recent months, numerous diseases with the dangerous yeast fungus have been recorded in the USA, Great Britain and India among others.
Experts now also expect an increase in cases for Germany. The NRZMyk has already registered three cases this year following an isolated case in 2015.
"However, it can be assumed that the case numbers are higher. There are certainly laboratories, which the pathogen has slipped through, "said center leader Kurzai in a message from the news agency dpa.
People with weakened immune systems are at risk
Candida auris inhabits the ears and the respiratory tract, but it can also cause serious infections in the blood or wounds.
However, according to health experts, the fungus is a deadly danger for people with a weakened immune system, diabetics or premature births - these groups often suffer multiple organ failure after infection.
The problem is that many diagnostic laboratories are not yet sufficiently prepared for the yeast fungus, which has only been known for a few years. Even medical staff, the pathogen is not yet sufficiently familiar.
"The current standard procedures for fungal infections do not recognize this yeast fungus. In the best case, the tests only show that something is wrong, "said the physician in the dpa message.
Now the manufacturers of the test procedures are on the train. You would need to update the databases on which the tests are based.
Infected patients died
Based on the relatively few cases so far, the US Department of Health (CDC) has found that approximately 40 to 60 percent of patients infected with Candida auris have died.
However, it is usually not possible to say exactly whether the fungus was actually the cause, because it was in each case with seriously ill patients.
The yeast, which is resistant to many anti-fungal agents, according to Kurzai is only identifiable in the laboratory.
"The most important thing is that you recognize the fungus," says the expert, according to dpa. But: "The identification with conventional methods is currently insufficient," writes the NRZMyk on its website.
In addition, there is currently no obligation to report infections with Candida auris. (Ad)