Candida auris

About Candida auris: 

 

• It is a multi-drug resistant fungus that is capable of causing invasive infections in the human body.
• It was first identified in Japan in 2009
• The fungus has been reported in more than 40 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia.
• How is it contracted?
  • It is primarily contracted in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes.
  • It is generally thought to be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or by person-to-person transmission.
  • The fungus can either colonize a specific region of the body, such as the skin, rectum, or mouth, without causing symptoms or it can cause severe invasive infections by entering the bloodstream or wounds.
• Symptoms
  • Its symptoms are often similar to those of other common diseases, such as fever and chills that do not go away after treatment with antibiotics.
• Treatment
  • It is resistance to multiple classes of antifungal drugs.
  • This makes treatment challenging and often requires the use of combination therapies.
  • Antifungal drugs called echinocandins are used to treat this infection;

 

---

Q1) What is Fungus?

Fungus, also known as fungi (plural), is a diverse group of organisms that belong to their own kingdom called Fungi. Fungi are eukaryotic microorganisms that can be found in various environments, including soil, water, air, and on plants or animals. They play crucial roles in ecosystems as decomposers, symbiotic partners, and pathogens.

Source: Evidence of superbug found in Delhi's stray dogs