Claim: Deadly fungal infection spreading at an alarming rate

Question

There has been a common story in the news recently in relation to a deadly infection spreading throughout the U.S. According to NBC, this infection is deadly and spreading at an alarming rate. Is this true? What do we know about the virus already and where did it originate from?

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-fungal-infection-candida-auris-alarming-spread-rcna75477

Answer 1

The claim that this fungus is deadly is definitely true.  This BBC article explains that the fungus's estimated mortality rate is 30-53%.  It also elaborates and states that this fungus is resistant to most drugs and that it has been spreading throughout hospitals since 2020.  It is hard to clean from surfaces in hospitals, and one scientist even says it should close entire hospital wards.  While the article does not mention the rate it is currently spreading at, it is safe to say given the severity of the infections that the fungus causes and its prominence the past 2 years that it is indeed deadly and spreading at an alarming pace.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65055878

Answer 2

Candida auris (C. auris), an emerging fungus considered an urgent antimicrobial resistance (AR) threat, spread at an alarming rate in U.S. healthcare facilities in 2020-2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

 The timing of this increase and findings from public health investigations suggest C. auris spread may have worsened due to strain on healthcare and public health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CDC continues to work with state, local, and territorial health departments and other partners to address this emerging threat to public health.

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0320-cauris.html 

Comments

Based on your explanation, the claim seems to be true? Why do you think it's exaggerated or misleading? This is an important area to focus your explanation on; at the moment it seems to be supporting the claim.

Answer 3

Candida auris is an infectious pathogen that is considered a threat to global health. Despite the fact that the detection of this pathogen is difficult since it is commonly misidentified, it has been identified in 35 countries since 2009. However, it is being contained in the US as it is a "nationally notifiable pathogen." Although this disease is highly transmissible from person to person and can be deadly, it is being kept under control with thorough guidelines for healthcare professionals to use when combatting this disease.

"Given the high rates of transmissibility and antifungal resistance patterns, C. auris was declared a public threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In June 2016, the CDC announced to general providers, infection control providers, laboratories, and public health authorities about Candida auris, making all cases in the United States reportable to the authorities and the CDC.[8] The CDC has outlined various aspects of infection control and prevention of C. auris."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563297/

Comments

Could you elaborate on this: it is being kept under control with thorough guidelines for healthcare professionals to use when combatting this disease.

Why exactly do you think it is misleading or exaggerated? I'm seeing plenty of headlines that echo the claim (but of course, they could be click-bait or sensationalizing the news?).

Answer 4

NBC News states, "The fungus, a type of yeast called Candida auris, or C. auris, can cause severe illness in people with weakened immune systems. The number of people diagnosed with infections — as well as the number of those who were found through screening to be carrying C. auris — has been rising at an alarming rate since it was first reported in the U.S., researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday" (Carroll). 

More on the disease, symptoms and risks at: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-fungal-infection-candida-auris-alarming-spread-rcna75477 

Comments

So is the claim true or false based on your research and fact-check? I can't determine. Don't forget to mention it in your explanation and include a rating (true, false, opinion, N/A, etc.).

Answer 5

While information about C. auris is relatively limited, the CDC has released statements that between 30%-60% of people infected by it die. According to NPR, the risk is minimal for healthy people, but already sick individuals are at risk because C. auris is resistant to many existing anti-fungal medications.

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/21/1164912425/candida-auris-yeast-fungus-cdc-spread

Answer 6

https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/cdc-issues-warning-about-increase-of-drug-resistant-candida-auris-infections/2023/03

This claim is true. The article above explains that the candida fungus affects only very sick people with weakened immune systems, but still 1/3rd of those who contract the fungus die. The fungus is resistant to drugs.

Comments

Going forward, it would be great to mention your source directly rather than say "the article above." For instance, "The University of California - Davis states that....XXXXX."