Global Spread of Candida Auris Reaches 60 Countries
Is Candida auris a contained health care issue, or an urgent emerging threat requiring immediate global action?
Above: Oliver Kurzai holds a petri dish with Candida auris at the Wuerzburg University lab on Jan. 23, 2018. Image credit: Nicolas Armer/picture alliance/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Drug-resistant fungal diseases like Candida auris represent a critical emerging threat that's rapidly spreading across hospitals and developing resistance to last-line antifungals. This pathogen has independently emerged on multiple continents, likely adapting to warmer temperatures, and now threatens to become untreatable without urgent action on surveillance and new drug development.
Narrative B
Candida auris infections remain confined to health care facilities affecting severely immunocompromised patients with indwelling medical devices, not the general public. The real lesson here involves improving infection control practices and staffing in long-term care facilities rather than fearmongering about apocalyptic scenarios.