A potentially deadly fungal infection is sweeping across the nation right now and it’s resistant to many of the drugs used to treat it.

Candida auris, or C. auris, is a type of yeast infection that can cause severe illness or death in immunocompromised people. It also poses a serious threat to people in long-term health care facilities and hospitals.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the fungus kills 30%-60% of the people who get the infection and issued an alert for health care facilities across the nation to be on the lookout.

In addition, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week reported cases of the infection tripled between 2020 and 2021.

So far, Utah hasn’t seen very many cases.

“We’ve had fewer than five in the past 12 months, but it is something we are definitely on the lookout for and we want to document it very closely,” said Angela Weil, an advanced practice registered nurse and clinical coordinator for health care associated infections at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. “So far, knock on wood, we have not seen any state transmission. The people who have been infected have all gotten it from other states, but we are wanting to be very vigilant about educating health care facilities and how to respond and prevent spread whenever possible.”

Weil said the infection is spread person to person and also through spores that can be picked up on contaminated environmental surfaces or equipment.

“Most healthy people won’t have any symptoms, but for those who are compromised or those who are in long-term care facilities, it can cause you to become very sick, depending on where in the body it travels,” Weil said. “For instance, if it enters a wound and gets into your bloodstream, it can be very dangerous.”

The infection is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs commonly used to treat it. Weil said this latest outbreak is just another reason why it’s important not to overuse or misuse medications like antifungals and antibiotics.

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