Infections by the fungus ‘Candida auris’, a microorganism super resistant to drugs and potentially deadly, grew at a high rate in the United States between 2019 and 2021, says a study published Monday in a specialized journal.
Specifically, the researchers warn of the increase in cases resistant to echinocandins, the main drug used in the treatment of Candida fungal infections.
These types of cases were three times more frequent in 2021 than in the previous two years, according to the study, which analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as those collected by authorities at the national level. local and state.
Data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine magazine show an increase in the growth rate of Candida auris infections, which went from 44% in 2019 to 95% in 2021.
For the researchers, who work for the CDC, the increase may be related to the difficulties that the Covid-19 pandemic has produced in the health system, such as a shortage of bathrooms or the use of more antimicrobials.
The report highlights that Candida auris, which was first detected in the US in 2016, is listed as an “urgent threat” by the CDC due to its drug resistance and high mortality rate.
Most cases occur in health care settings, particularly among patients who have been hospitalized for a long time or who use mechanical ventilators, the researchers explain.
In Europe, more than 35,000 people died each year between 2016 and 2020 from infections caused by antimicrobial drug resistance, according to a report from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published in November.
According to the ECDC, whose published estimates cover the countries of the European Economic Area, the impact of antimicrobial resistance on health is comparable to that of influenza, tuberculosis and AIDS combined.
Within the European Economic Area (European Union, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein), the number of infections by bacteria of the genus ‘Acinetobacter’ that proved resistant to different groups of antibiotics more than doubled (121%) in 2021 compared to the average verified between 2018 and 2019, according to ECDC.
Infections by the ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae’ bacterium resistant to the ‘carbapenem’ antibiotic, often used as a last resort, increased by 20% in 2021 and 31% in 2020.
The ECDC also highlights, in a statement, the almost doubling between 2020 and 2021 of infections by the fungus ‘Candida auris’, which can be resistant to multiple antifungals and is at the origin of outbreaks associated with healthcare (in health care centers). health or hospitals).
By definition, according to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites do not respond to drugs, making infections more difficult to treat and increasing the risk of contagion, serious illness, and death.
Antimicrobial drugs include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics.
Source: TSF
