Introduction
Candida Auris is an emerging Candida species that originated in Japan and was discovered in 2009. This fungus is resistant to antifungal drugs hence they pose threat to health globally. The contagion outbreak causes symptoms of bacterial infection, which are fever and chills that are not reduced by antibiotics drugs. The disease is classified as a nosocomial infection because it can be spread in healthcare settings.
Signs, Symptoms, and Disease Course
The major signs and symptoms of Candida Auris are fever and chills. The fungus can colonize peoples’ bodies without them exhibiting infection symptoms. This is dangerous because one can spread the disease unknowingly. The pathogen enters the body through wounds and invasive pipes such as breathing and feeding tubes, and catheters in a vein. Thereafter, it causes infection in the bloodstream, brain, and heart consequently causing death to the patient.
Virulence Factors and Diagnostic
Candida virulent factors are characterized by their adherence to surfaces, germination, biofilm formation, and proteinase and phospholipase creation. The fungus is more virulent than the Candida albicans strain. This is because it has genes that enable skin colonization and persistence in the environment (Rossato & Colombo, 2018). Candida Auris’s diagnosis is done through the identification of fungal culture phenotypes in the laboratory. However, the most reliable techniques for pathogen identification are matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight platforms with C. Auris spectral libraries, T2 magnetic resonance platform with the updated T2Cauris panel, and sequencing of ribosomal DNA (Rybak, 2020). The tests are expensive, thus very few laboratories can afford them.
Treatment, Prevention, and Sequela
Candida Auris is treated using antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B, fluconazole, and echinocandins. However, some of C. Auris strains are resistant to amphotericin B and fluconazole (Rybak et al., 2020). The Center for Disease Control recommends empiric therapy with echinocandins for infections, which have been persistent for more than 2 months (Rybak et al., 2020). Candida Auris is common in patients who had preexisting medical problems that forced them to stay in nursing homes for a long time. Such diseases include diabetes and blood cancers that weaken the body’s immune system.
References
Rossato, L., & Colombo, A. L. (2018). Candida auris: What have we learned about its mechanisms of pathogenicity? Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 3081.
Rybak, J.M. (2020). Candida auris is changing the paradigm of antifungal-resistant candida. Web.