Medical Discovery News
Science permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred-word newspaper column (http://www.illuminascicom.com/) and two-minute radio show provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine. Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.
Medical Discovery News
There's a Fungus Among Us!
979 - There's a fungus among Us!
Welcome to Medical Discovery News. I’m Dr. David Niesel.
And I’m Dr. Norbert Herzog.
A relatively new fungus is spreading in the US, but it’s resistant to nearly all anti-fungal drugs. So, anyone infected may be on their own.
Candida auris or C. auris was first reported in the US in two thousand sixteen. It can cause mild skin problems to severe blood stream infections. Symptoms depend on the location of the infection.
People can be colonized by C auris without any symptoms, which means they’re carrying the fungus and spreading it to other people and objects.
This is why screening is important if there’s any doubt the person has it. They should be isolated to a separate room, and those going in and out should wear gowns and masks and wash their hands.
In healthcare facilities, objects like bedrails, doorknobs, and blood pressure cuffs get contaminated and C. auris can survive for long periods of time, allowing it to spread to other people.
The fungus can get inside the body through breathing and feeding tubes, catheters in a vein, and urinary catheters. Victims must rely on their immune systems to clear any infections from this fungus.
C. auris cases have been reported in all but eleven states. In two thousand twenty-three, there were forty-five hundred reported cases, but that’s likely an undercount.
We don’t know much about this fungus and how to deal with it. Scientists will need funding to develop a treatment, but many studies are at risk from cuts to federal agencies and to universities studying a myriad of diseases. C. auris is just one of them.
We are Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, at UTMB and Quinnipiac University, where biomedical discoveries shape the future of medicine. For much more and our disclaimer go to medicaldiscoverynews.com or listen to our podcast on your favorite podcast service.
