The fungus poses a greater risk for vulnerable populations in nursing homes and hospitals
A deadly fungus that can be considered a superbug due to its resistance to all types of antibiotics is spreading across the country – with thousands of people already infected, according to health officials.
Candida auris, a type of invasive yeast that can cause deadly infections in people with weakened immune systems, has infected at least 7,000 people across 27 U.S. states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The fungus, which can spread easily in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes, is gaining virulence and spreading at an “alarming” rate, the CDC says.
A+ journalism using antibiotic resistance as a definition of a superbug while talking about a fungus, which is treated by antifungals.
Also, MRSA impacts more patients per year, is resistant to methicillin (they should really find out a good way to let us know that), and has pretty much the exact same transmission profile: transmission within hospitals in immune compromised patients.
It’s something to keep an eye on, but it’s not some massive plague like they are trying to imply with the sensationalist headline.