New strain of drug-resistant fungus discovered, posing a global public threat
The new discovery has been published in The Lancet Microbe. This brings the total number of Candida auris clades known worldwide to six. It was discovered in April 2023 after a patient tested positive at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
A new type of drug-resistant fungus has been discovered, posing a global threat. (Image: iStock)
Scientists have discovered a new type of drug-resistant virus. fungusThey claimed that the fresh clade Candida Auris 60% of people who get infected die. It is a “serious threat to global public health” Health“Being a highly contagious fungal infection, it can cause severe illness, particularly in vulnerable hospitalised patients.
In some cases, it will cause no symptoms. However, some people will experience fever or chills, low blood pressure and a rash. It can also cause bloodstream, wound and ear infections, according to Public Health England.
The new discovery has been published in The Lancet Microbe. This brings the total number of Candida auris clades known worldwide to six. It was discovered in April 2023 after a patient tested positive at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
Dr. Carrie Ko, co-first author of the study and an advisor at SHG, said, “The emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris is a serious threat to global public health due to its worldwide distribution, multi-drug resistance, high infectivity, propensity to cause outbreaks, and high mortality rate. She further added, “The implications of this discovery extend far beyond the laboratory. Now that we have discovered the sixth Candida auris clade, there is an urgent need to develop new methods to improve surveillance capacity or enhance existing surveillance strategies so that health care facilities can keep a close watch for its emergence and prevent its spread once found.”
“Genomic surveillance is essential to understanding emerging pathogens. By integrating genomics, metagenomics, and collaborative efforts between researchers and clinicians, we can continually enhance our pandemic preparedness and response to public health threats,” said senior author Niranjan Nagarajan, associate professor in the Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme at the National University of Singapore.
Meanwhile, in 2022, the World Health Organization listed Candida auris as a “critical priority” for research and public health action. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also declared the fungus “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat” as it becomes increasingly difficult to treat.
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