Deadly fungus, a growing health concern, is detected in Stanislaus County patient
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Health officials in Stanislaus County and the state are increasingly concerned about a deadly fungus that has spread in health care facilities and has been detected locally.
The fungus, called Candida auris, is resistant to drugs used to treat fungal infections. It can spread from person-to-person in hospitals and long-term care facilities and may cause severe infections with a high death rate, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Stanislaus County’s public health division released a statement Monday saying one case of Candida auris was detected in a county resident. The test sample was actually obtained at an outpatient location and further investigation did not link the case to any long-term care facility, the county’s statement said.
In February, the California Department of Public Health released a health advisory about Candida auris cases in Stanislaus and Sacramento counties discovered since September 2022.
Near the end of January, a case was also identified at a hospital in Contra Costa County, leading health officials to believe there was more transmission of Candida auris in Northern California than previously indicated.
County public health said 70% of Candida auris cases in Southern California, where the fungus is more prevalent, have been in long-term acute care facilities and 20% in nursing homes, with the remainder in hospitals or other settings.
“C. auris is easily spread among patients in healthcare settings and can persist in the healthcare environment for weeks, where it can spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment and facilitated by excessive patient movement and poor hand hygiene in healthcare personnel,” the public health statement said.
CDC advisories say the fungus was originally identified in Japan in 2009, and since then has surfaced in more than 30 countries including the United States. The pathogen spread in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The California Department Public Health said Candida auris mainly is found in health care facilities caring for patients who are seriously ill and are hospitalized for an extended period.
“In general, the fungus is not a threat to healthy people,” UC Davis Health said in a post last week. “People who are very sick, or who have long or frequent stays in health care facilities or a weakened immune system are at increased risk for acquiring C. auris.”
Almost 360 cases have been recorded in California in the past year, according to a CDC tracker. At 384, Nevada had the highest number of U.S. cases.
The infections are fatal in 30% to 60% of cases, but disease investigators have looked at a limited number of cases, the CDC says. Patients who died were seriously ill from other medical conditions.
Health officials believe the fungus spreads in a hospital through contact with contaminated surfaces or medical equipment. The most vulnerable patients are connected to central lines, tubes or ventilators and are hospitalized for an extended time.
The infections can enter the bloodstream. Special lab processes are essential for identifying the infection. The infections are hard to treat because some Candida auris strains are resistant to the drugs, the CDPH said.
The symptoms of infection include fever and chills, which are not affected by antibiotics.
The state is advising hospitals to put infected patients in a single room and conduct screening of high-risk patients and patient contacts for Candida auris.
The CDC guidelines say that nursing home patients with Candida auris can participate in meals and group activities if they wash their hands thoroughly on a regular basis, wounds are bandaged and items touched by the patient are disinfected after use.
Stanislaus County health officials are working with the state to engage long-term acute care hospitals and other health care organizations on preventing the spread of Candida auris.
This story was originally published March 27, 2023 at 12:56 PM.
