CDC Sounds the Alarm on a New Wave of Resistant Fungal Infections

Incidence of Candida auris fungal infections nearly tripled between 2019 and 2021, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Infection. Even more concerning, as reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the fact that C auris infections resistant to the echinocandins that constitute first-line therapy are increasing, as well, albeit at a slower rate than overall infection. The JAMA analysis raises the possibility that institutional burden on healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic could be a factor. There’s an article in the JUCM archive that could be helpful in the event that patients with symptoms suggestive of C auris infection (eg, fever, chills, sweats, low blood pressure). You can go there to read Identifying and Treating Superficial Fungal Infections in the Urgent Care Setting right now.