Hundreds diseases: a New yeast spreads – no medicines available

Drug-resistant fungus represents a global health threat

Health experts warn of a “serious global health threat” posed by drug-resistant yeast Candida auris. In the USA alone, it came by the fungus already to around 600 diseases. Also several deaths have been known.

Several Deaths

In the fall of 2016, the US health authority CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) was reported for the first time about a new fungal disease that runs in some cases, fatal. The yeast fungus Candida auris was therefore brought in to the USA with several deaths. The fungus was detected for the first Time in 2009 in a patient in Japan as the causative agent of a Otomykose (fungal disease of the external auditory canal). But, in the meantime, the grass he is also in many other countries. According to the CDC, he now presents a “serious global health threat.”

Infection can be life-threatening

On the skin hosts a variety of microorganisms, live yeast, including. Fungi of the genus Candida can be detected in about 75 percent of the people.

With a healthy immune system, the yeasts are on the skin and the mucous membranes is usually not a Problem.

They live on the skin without you knowing about it. And even if they lead to diseases of Yeast of the skin, can often help simple home remedies for Candida.

However, if the new yeast Candida auris ends up in the bloodstream, can often lives in hospitals and other health care facilities emerging infectious dangerous.

Almost 600 diseases in the United States

Since then, the fungus was identified for the first time, it came out in the US alone to at least 587 diseases, according to the U.S. news channel “CBS News”.

According to “CBS New York”. died last year of an elderly man in Mount Sinai Hospital in New York after a stomach operation to the fungus.

According to the figures, the yeast should have already caused in more than 20 countries, diseases.

Increased attention without undue alarmist

“Candida auris can get at the Infected in the blood stream and Sepsis, a blood poisoning that cause,” said Professor Oliver Kurzai, in a communication of the University of Würzburg, to which the physician holds the chair for Medical Microbiology and Mycology.

He also heads the National reference center for invasive fungal infections (NRZMyk) in Jena.

Professor Kurzai is one of the authors of an opinion of experts from Germany and Austria, in the recommended in connection with Candida auris is an increased attention, but at the same time against unnecessary panic will be warned.

Difficult to identify

According to the US health authority CDC Candida auris, however, is a “serious global health threat.”

The authority justifies this on the grounds that the mushroom is to identify the major routine tests are difficult to treat due to widespread drug resistance severely.

Dangerous he is, because it came up outbreaks, especially in health care facilities.

Candida auris colonized the ears and the respiratory tract, however, it can also cause in the blood or in wounds serious infections.

Experts are preparing, that there is no medicine against the yeast fungus. “It is a huge Problem,” said Matthew Fisher from Imperial College London to the New York Times.

“We need to be able to these patients with antifungal drugs treat,” says the Co-author of a study on the increase of resistant fungi.

People with weakened immune systems are at risk

According to health experts, Candida auris for people with a weakened immune system, diabetes, or preterm birth is a mortal danger – those groups of people is a multi-organ suffer after infection, there is often failure.

Based on the, as yet, comparatively few cases, the CDC has found that about 40 to 60 percent of Candida auris infected patients have died.

However, it is usually not exactly say whether the fungus was the cause, because it involved seriously ill patients.

“For a healthy person, Candida auris is not a threat,” said Professor Kurzai. (ad)