Infections from the fungus ‘Candida auris’, a microorganism super resistant to drugs and potentially deadly, grew at a rapid rate in the United States between 2019 and 2021, says a study published Monday in a specialist journal.
The researchers specifically warn of the rise in cases resistant to echinocandins, the main drug used in the treatment of Candida fungal infections.
Cases like these were three times more common 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 that collected by authorities at the national level. local and state.
Data published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine shows an increase in the percentage growth of ‘Candida auris’ infections, which increased from 44% in 2019 to 95% in 2021.
For researchers working for the CDC, the rise may be related to the problems the Covid-19 pandemic has created in the health system, such as bathroom shortages or increased use of antimicrobials.
The report highlights that ‘Candida auris’, which was first discovered in the US in 2016, is listed by the CDC as an “urgent threat” due to its drug resistance and high mortality rate.
Most cases occur in healthcare facilities, particularly in 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 due to infections caused by resistance to antimicrobial drugs, according to a report by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) released in November.
According to 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 have been found to be resistant to different groups of antibiotics will more than double (121%) by 2021 compared to the average verified between 2018 and 2019, according to ECDC.
Infections with the bacterium ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae’, which is resistant to the antibiotic ‘carbapenems’, which is often used as a last resort, increased by 20% in 2021 and 31% in 2020.
In a statement, the ECDC also points to the near doubling between 2020 and 2021 of infections with the fungus ‘Candida auris’, which can be resistant to multiple antifungal agents and is the cause of healthcare-related outbreaks (in health centers or hospitals) .
According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance by definition occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites fail to respond to drugs, making infections difficult to treat and increasing the risk of infection, serious illness and death.
Antimicrobial drugs include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics.
Source: DN
