As Fungal Infections Spread, Researchers Seek Better Detection
In 2015, British public-health officials contacted U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist Tom Chiller about an unusual outbreak at a London hospital. The cause, Candida auris, was spreading between patients and proving difficult to eliminate. The call prompted the CDC to investigate whether the yeast had already appeared in the United States.
First identified in Japan in 2009, C. auris can persist on skin and hospital surfaces, spread through contact, and resist some antifungal drugs and disinfectants. It has since been reported across six continents. The article describes thousands of U.S. cases annually, primarily among patients in health-care settings. Severe infections can be fatal, although a reported death rate does not necessarily mean the fungus caused every death.
Researchers interviewed in the article say rising temperatures may help some fungi tolerate human body heat, while changing weather patterns may extend the range of others. They also point to antifungal use as a contributor to drug resistance. These explanations remain under investigation; the article does not establish that climate change alone caused C. auris to emerge.
Medical advances create another challenge. Treatments that suppress immunity and devices that enter the body can leave patients more vulnerable to infection. The article profiles Ryan Zwick, who developed a persistent C. auris infection after receiving life support during a severe illness. It also describes a patient whose valley fever went undiagnosed for months, illustrating the consequences of delayed detection.
Other fungi discussed include the organisms behind valley fever, drug-resistant ringworm and a disease transmitted by infected cats in South America. Specialists are expanding surveillance and developing diagnostic tests and treatments. They say earlier recognition of fungal disease could improve care, even as questions remain about why different pathogens are appearing in new places and how widely they may spread in the coming years.