Candida Auris: Here's why it's a superbug and what that means

The fungal infection candida auris has infected as many as 400 people over the last few years in the New York and New Jersey area, with one in three patients dying from the infection, health officials said.

The seemingly abrupt onslaught of the fungal superbug has alarmed both civilians and health officials, with health officials calling it a "serious global health threat."

But little is known about the relatively young species of fungus. And as a superbug, candida auris is resilient and resistant, making it hard to identify and hard to eliminate. 

Here's what we know about candida auris after talking to Neeraj Chauhan, an associate professor at Rutgers University Medical School, who has been studying candida fungi for nearly 20 years.

What is candida auris?

Candida is a group of fungus that are part of our normal microflora, which are bacteria and microscopic algae and fungi that live in our bodies, said Chauhan. 

As a group, candida has many species. Candida auris  was first reported in Japan in 2009, he said. 

"Candida auris is one of the newest ones and is in the news because it’s a big problem," said Chauhan. "Because it's difficult to treat."

What makes it a superbug?

What differentiates candida auris from other candida species is its ability to persist on human skin, as well as on other surfaces, said Chauhan. Candida auris is resilient, living outside of a host for as long as several months, making it easily transferable.

"They stay there for months," said Chauhan. "That’s a big concern. That’s very unlike other candida species."

The fungus' ability to survive on skin or other surfaces makes it easily transmittable,  and carriers are not necessarily infected.

"Because of this ability of this fungus to persist, there’s a risk of transmission from person to person, which is quite unique," said Chauhan.

Additionally, candida auris is resistant to most laboratory disinfectants and even many antifungal medications, said Chauhan. Some patients have still had "persistent colonization," even after twice-daily body washes with disinfectants, according to a study published in a microbiology journal.

The fungus is resistant to common antifungals that are used for treating infected patients, Chauhan said. Some strains have shown to be resistant to more than one of these drugs. 

How do you spot a superbug?

Adding to the difficulty of treating candida auris is finding it in the first place. The infection is often asymptomatic, showing few to no immediate symptoms, said Chauhan. The symptoms that do appear, such as fever, are often confused for bacterial infections, he said.

"Most routine diagnostic tests don’t work very well for candida auris," he said. "They're often misidenfitied as other species."

The best way to identify candida auris is by looking under a microscope, which often takes time because it requires doctors to grow the fungus, Chauhan said.

How to fight a superbug

As with most infectious diseases, the best course of action is good hygiene and sterilization protocol. Washing your hands and using hand sanitizer after helps to prevent transmission and infection, Chauhan said.

Doctors and healthcare workers should use protective gear, and people visiting loved ones in hospitals and long-term care centers should take proper precautions, he said.

The Center for Disease Control recommends using a special disinfectant that is used to treat clostridium difficile spores. The disinfectant has been effective in wiping out clostridium difficile, known as c. diff, and disinfects surfaces contaminated with candida auris, as well.

For those infected with candida auris, there are three antifungal medications for candida, but some strains of candida auris are resistant to all three.

Email: torrejon@northjersey.com