Superbugs are a big health hazard resulting in 4.95 million deaths on average per year. Now, a superbug named Candida Auris has spread to 23 U.S. states. It has come under lens as it can hide in a person's hair follicles for months without any symptoms.

Superbug That Can Hide in Your Hair Spreads to 23 U.S. States | GRAVITAS 

A drug-resistant fungus Candida Auris is spreading in US hospitals at an alarming rate. Those with fragile immune systems are at risk. What happens if it enters your country or your neighbourhood? Should you be scared? Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: Alarming rise of drug-resistant fungus | Candida Auris spreads in US

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have predicted that the US state is going to be hit hard by a killer fungus.

It comes after crazy and invasive ants rolled into new parts of Texas. They are called "crazy" because of their erratic, jarring movements,&nbsp;unlike the orderly marches of their cousin species.&nbsp;

While they don't have the venomous bite of fire ants, they secrete formic acid that shields them against fire ant venom, and incapacitates native animals.

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Like fire ants, whom they have displaced in parts of Texas, tawny crazy ants are native to Argentina and Brazil and came to the United States via ships.&nbsp;

The “superbug” outbreaks were reported in two hospitals at Dallas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. A handful of the patients had invasive fungal infections that were impervious to all three major classes of medications.

“This is really the first time we’ve started seeing clustering of resistance” in which patients seemed to be getting the infections from each other, said the CDC’s Dr. Meghan Lyman.

The fungus, Candida auris, is a harmful form of yeast that is considered dangerous to hospital and nursing home patients with serious medical problems. It is most deadly when it enters the bloodstream, heart or brain. Outbreaks in health care facilities have been spurred when the fungus spread through patient contact or on contaminated surfaces.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/meet-indian-jumping-ants-who-can-shrink-and-re-grow-their-brains-377559">Also read |&nbsp;Meet Indian jumping ants, who can shrink and re-grow their brains</a>

Researchers believe a naturally occurring fungus-like pathogen can be used to reverse their rampant spread across the southeastern United States, where they have wrought havoc for the past 20 years.&nbsp;

Ecologist and lead author Edward LeBrun said that the fungus had already driven pockets of the invaders to extinction, and would soon be tested at environmentally-sensitive sites to protect endangered species.

"It's kind of a horror show," said LeBrun, who described apocalyptic rivers of ants swarming trees at an infestation site he visited at the Estero Llano Grande State Park, which had lost native ants, insects, scorpions, snakes, lizards and birds to the invaders.

Not only are they destroying ecosystems, "they're miserable to live with" for humans, said LeBrun. The ants seek out electrical systems to nest in, causing shorts in breaker boxes, AC units and sewage pumps.&nbsp;

Pesticides are highly toxic and serve only to slow their progress, leading to snowdrift piles of dead ants that have to be cleared, and the ants eventually break through anyway.

Health officials have sounded alarms for years about the superbug after seeing infections in which commonly used drugs had little effect. In 2019, doctors diagnosed three cases in New York that were also resistant to a class of drugs, called echinocandins, that were considered a last line of defense.

In those cases, there was no evidence the infections had spread from patient to patient — scientists concluded the resistance to the drugs formed during treatment.

The new cases did spread, the CDC concluded. Investigators reviewed medical records and found no evidence of previous antifungal use among the patients in those clusters. Health officials say that means they spread from person to person.

Microsporidians commonly hijack an insect's fat cells, turning them into spore factories. The pathogen's origins aren't clear -- perhaps it came from South America or perhaps from another insect.&nbsp;

Whatever the case, scientists found it cropping up across Texas. They observed 15 populations for eight years, finding that every population harboring the pathogen declined, and 60 percent of the populations went completely extinct. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have predicted that the US state is going to be hit hard by a killer fungus. It comes after crazy and invasive ants rolled into new parts of Texas.

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have predicted that the US state is going to be hit hard by a killer fungus. It comes after crazy and invasive ants rolled into new parts of Texas. They are called "crazy" because of their erratic, jarring movements, unlike the orderly marches of their cousin species. While they don't have the venomous bite of fire ants, they secrete formic acid that shields them against fire ant venom, and incapacitates native animals. Like fire ants, whom they have displaced in parts of Texas, tawny crazy ants are native to Argentina and Brazil and came to the United States via ships. The “superbug” outbreaks were reported in two hospitals at Dallas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. A handful of the patients had invasive fungal infections that were impervious to all three major classes of medications. “This is really the first time we’ve started seeing clustering of resistance” in which patients seemed to be getting the infections from each other, said the CDC’s Dr. Meghan Lyman. The fungus, Candida auris, is a harmful form of yeast that is considered dangerous to hospital and nursing home patients with serious medical problems. It is most deadly when it enters the bloodstream, heart or brain. Outbreaks in health care facilities have been spurred when the fungus spread through patient contact or on contaminated surfaces. Also read | Meet Indian jumping ants, who can shrink and re-grow their brains Researchers believe a naturally occurring fungus-like pathogen can be used to reverse their rampant spread across the southeastern United States, where they have wrought havoc for the past 20 years. Ecologist and lead author Edward LeBrun said that the fungus had already driven pockets of the invaders to extinction, and would soon be tested at environmentally-sensitive sites to protect endangered species. "It's kind of a horror show," said LeBrun, who described apocalyptic rivers of ants swarming trees at an infestation site he visited at the Estero Llano Grande State Park, which had lost native ants, insects, scorpions, snakes, lizards and birds to the invaders. Not only are they destroying ecosystems, "they're miserable to live with" for humans, said LeBrun. The ants seek out electrical systems to nest in, causing shorts in breaker boxes, AC units and sewage pumps. Pesticides are highly toxic and serve only to slow their progress, leading to snowdrift piles of dead ants that have to be cleared, and the ants eventually break through anyway. Health officials have sounded alarms for years about the superbug after seeing infections in which commonly used drugs had little effect. In 2019, doctors diagnosed three cases in New York that were also resistant to a class of drugs, called echinocandins, that were considered a last line of defense. In those cases, there was no evidence the infections had spread from patient to patient — scientists concluded the resistance to the drugs formed during treatment. The new cases did spread, the CDC concluded. Investigators reviewed medical records and found no evidence of previous antifungal use among the patients in those clusters. Health officials say that means they spread from person to person. Microsporidians commonly hijack an insect's fat cells, turning them into spore factories. The pathogen's origins aren't clear -- perhaps it came from South America or perhaps from another insect. Whatever the case, scientists found it cropping up across Texas. They observed 15 populations for eight years, finding that every population harboring the pathogen declined, and 60 percent of the populations went completely extinct. (With inputs from agencies)

After invasive ants, Texas to be hit hard by a killer fungus

A mysterious and deadly fungal infection called Candida&nbsp;Auris&nbsp;at a Florida hospital has become the cause of dozens of hospitalisations.

The yeast infection may have been caused due to the reuse of the&nbsp;personal protective equipment (PPE), as per a report by the&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The multidrug-resistant yeast was first identified in Japan in 2009 and has been a top priority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in recent years because of its increasing global spread.

Candida&nbsp;Auris&nbsp;is associated with up to 40 per cent in-hospital mortality and is usually caught inside healthcare settings, especially when people have feeding or breathing tubes, or catheters placed in large veins.

It causes bloodstream, wound and ear infections and has also been found in urine and respiratory samples, but it's not clear if the fungus actually infects the lung or bladder.

The recent outbreak began in July when a hospital, which the report did not name, notified the Florida Department of Health of an initial four cases of the fungus among patients being treated for the coronavirus.

The next month, the hospital carried out additional screening in its Covid-19 unit, which spanned four floors across five wings, and identified 35 more patients as being Candida&nbsp;Auris-positive.

Follow-up data was available for only 20 out of the 35 patients.&nbsp;Eight of these 20 people died, but it was not clear whether the fungus was the main factor or not.

The Florida Department of Health and CDC performed a joint investigation focused on infection prevention and control measures, finding numerous weaknesses.&nbsp;

"Mobile computers and medical equipment were not always disinfected between uses, medical supplies (e.g., oxygen tubing and gauze) were stored in open bins," the CDC report said.

It added that hospital staff, possibly out of fear of the coronavirus, were wearing multiple layers of personal protective equipment (PPE), which is not recommended and in fact heightens the risk of microbe transmission.

There were also instances of extended PPE use and re-use.

After the hospital removed supplies from hallways, enhanced cleaning and disinfection practices, and improved practices around PPE use, no further Candida&nbsp;Auris was detected on subsequent surveys.

"Outbreaks such as that described in this report highlight the importance of adhering to recommended infection control and PPE practices and continuing surveillance for novel pathogens like Candida&nbsp;Auris," the report concluded.

Candida&nbsp;Auris has now been documented in more than 30 countries, with some 1,500 US cases reported to the CDC as of October 31, 2020.

The CDC says the fungus can spread in healthcare settings "through contact with contaminated environmental surfaces or equipment, or from person to person."

&nbsp;

A mysterious and deadly fungal infection called Candida Auris at a Florida hospital has become the cause of dozens of hospitalisations. The yeast infection may have been caused due to the reuse of the personal protective equipment (PPE), as per a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A mysterious and deadly fungal infection called Candida Auris at a Florida hospital has become the cause of dozens of hospitalisations. The yeast infection may have been caused due to the reuse of the personal protective equipment (PPE), as per a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The multidrug-resistant yeast was first identified in Japan in 2009 and has been a top priority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in recent years because of its increasing global spread. Candida Auris is associated with up to 40 per cent in-hospital mortality and is usually caught inside healthcare settings, especially when people have feeding or breathing tubes, or catheters placed in large veins. It causes bloodstream, wound and ear infections and has also been found in urine and respiratory samples, but it's not clear if the fungus actually infects the lung or bladder. The recent outbreak began in July when a hospital, which the report did not name, notified the Florida Department of Health of an initial four cases of the fungus among patients being treated for the coronavirus. The next month, the hospital carried out additional screening in its Covid-19 unit, which spanned four floors across five wings, and identified 35 more patients as being Candida Auris-positive. Follow-up data was available for only 20 out of the 35 patients. Eight of these 20 people died, but it was not clear whether the fungus was the main factor or not. The Florida Department of Health and CDC performed a joint investigation focused on infection prevention and control measures, finding numerous weaknesses. "Mobile computers and medical equipment were not always disinfected between uses, medical supplies (e.g., oxygen tubing and gauze) were stored in open bins," the CDC report said. It added that hospital staff, possibly out of fear of the coronavirus, were wearing multiple layers of personal protective equipment (PPE), which is not recommended and in fact heightens the risk of microbe transmission. There were also instances of extended PPE use and re-use. After the hospital removed supplies from hallways, enhanced cleaning and disinfection practices, and improved practices around PPE use, no further Candida Auris was detected on subsequent surveys. "Outbreaks such as that described in this report highlight the importance of adhering to recommended infection control and PPE practices and continuing surveillance for novel pathogens like Candida Auris," the report concluded. Candida Auris has now been documented in more than 30 countries, with some 1,500 US cases reported to the CDC as of October 31, 2020. The CDC says the fungus can spread in healthcare settings "through contact with contaminated environmental surfaces or equipment, or from person to person."

Candida auris: Killer fungus spreading rapidly in coronavirus wards in US

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Superbug That Can Hide in Your Hair Spreads to 23 U.S. States | GRAVITAS

Gravitas: Alarming rise of drug-resistant fungus | Candida Auris spreads in US

After invasive ants, Texas to be hit hard by a killer fungus

Candida auris: Killer fungus spreading rapidly in coronavirus wards in US