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NOVI, MI - APRIL 11: Medical beds and supplies are seen in a hallway at the Suburban Collection Showplace, which is being converted into a field hospital to treat coronavirus patients on April 11, 2020 in Novi, Michigan. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a similar field hospital at TCF Center in Detroit with 1,000 beds that opened to patients diagnosed with COVID-19 on Friday. Michigan has reported over 22,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus statewide.
Deadly drug-resistant 'Candida Auris' caused fungus infection is now spreading in hospitals in Michigan. The rising cases in the area prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to warn against the "antimicrobial resistance threat."
The drug-resistant fungus infection has taken the lives of some of the most vulnerable people while others experienced severe illnesses.
'Candida Auris' Infections Spread in Michigan Hospitals
As per a report by Click on Detroit, Michigan is now seeing a rapid rise in the cases of the deadly infection caused by Candida Auris. The spread of this fungus infection is alarming since it puts the lives of people in hospitals at risk.
Although there have been several cases with a few casualties in the past, more people are now getting the infection. The Corporate Medical Director for Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Prevention at the Detroit Medical Center, Dr. Teena Chorpa," disclosed that the number of cases in the state is now rising. He says that they now "have up to 190 to 200 cases."
Dr. Chorpa adds that the state of Michigan is "struggling with this new challenge" alongside other states in the United States (US), noting that it is "an emerging pathogen."
He further warned everyone that we should seriously treat the Candida Auris fungus. The Corporate Medical Director explains how humans may get infected with the drug-resistant fungus. "It is transmitted through unclean hands, you know, and from person to person, from health workers to others," the doctor claims. So like most infections, washing our hands helps lower the transmission.
The fungus is now spreading among hospitals in Michigan, which according to Dr. Chorpa, is seriously alarming. He states, "It is worrisome because it carries a very high mortality." In other words, people who get the infection have a high chance of dying based on previous cases. But it still depends on the severity of the infection, which may vary from person to person.
Meanwhile, Fox 2 Detroit reports that a Northern Michigan man died amid the ongoing Candida Auris infection outbreak. According to the Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties, a contractor who worked at the Billerud Paper Mill died from the disease.
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ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 13: Exterior of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters is seen on October 13, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia.
CDC Warns Against 'Candida Auris' Fungus Infection
Amid the fungus outbreak, the CDC issued a warning against 'Candida Auris,' as per Audacy. It says that the rising infection is "an emerging fungus considered an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat."
The press release of the CDC further notes that the most vulnerable people to the infection are those "who are very sick." Those who frequently visit healthcare facilities for the long term have a high risk of getting the infection as well.
The epidemiologist of the CDC, Dr. Meghan Lyman, says that the significant bump in the number of cases is "concerning."
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