A public health officials across the nation.
A public health officials across the nation. But a team of Southern Nevada researchers hope their new study applying wastewater surveillance can help health officials get a step ahead of this emerging global public health threat.
Candida auris is a fungus that can cause serious infections, particularly in patients who are immunocompromised, have pre-existing health conditions, are in long-term healthcare settings, or are undergoing treatment with invasive medical devices such as a catheter. Infection prevention and control is challenging because the fungus can grow on both dry and moist surfaces such as furniture, door handles, clothing, and medical equipment in healthcare facilities. It’s also shown resistance to many commonly used surface disinfectants and all three types of antifungal medicines. More than 1 in 3 patients with invasive C. auris infections — which can affect the blood, heart, or brain — dies.
What’s more, Nevada — one of six states with recently high burdens of C. auris — last year experienced outbreaks across multiple healthcare facilities and logged the most U.S. cases of the fungal infection. The Silver State experienced a 16-fold increase from just 24 cases in 2021 to 384 cases in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cases have also been reported in dozens of other countries.
Read more at: University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Las Vegas skyline. (Photo Credit: Josh Hawkins/UNLV)
