Health

Cases of deadly fungal infection spread to U.S.

A deadly fungal infection is now being reported here in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 30 people in five states have been diagnosed with the fungus.

It's a strain of a kind of yeast known as Candida auris. Unlike the usual variety of yeast infections, this one causes serious bloodstream infections and it spreads easily from person to person.

There have been cases reported in Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts.

Tom Chiller with the CDC says, "So far the patients who are infected with this organism are the sickest of the sick."

He says because it's a bloodstream infection the patients come down with severe symptoms, like fever, low blood pressure and the organism can invade organs. Most are in hospitals or long term care facilities.

"It is certainly here, but I think it is still very rare," says Chiller. He adds that they are aggressively working to contain the spread of this nasty invasive yeast. He says the microbe is among a group of newly emerging drug resistant threats we are facing.

The CDC issued an alert about the deadly fungus last June. Since then the government has provided additional funding and experts to help state and regional labs and hospitals identify the organism.

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