We live in a time when diseases that used to kill thousands of people every year can be treated with common drugs.
While this is undoubtedly a good thing, medical researchers know that they still need to be on the lookout for the many potential medical threats that are out there, and it seems they recently found a new one.
A discovery of a distinct group of Candida auris (C. Auris) fungus was recently identified.
Other variants of this fungus are known to be resistant to available antifungal drugs, which makes this especially dangerous.
The fungus is a type of yeast that can cause a variety of illnesses including bloodstream infections. When an otherwise healthy person is exposed, the body is typically able to fight it off without serious risks.
For those who are already medically compromised due to cancer or other illnesses, however, the results can be devastating.
This fungus can be easily transmitted throughout areas including hospitals where there are people who are more vulnerable, making it even more dangerous.
Dr. Karrie Ko, a co-author of the study on this new fungus, said in a statement:
“The implications of this discovery extend far beyond the laboratory. Now that we have discovered the sixth Candida auris clade, there is a pressing need to improve surveillance capability or develop new methods to augment current surveillance strategies so that health care facilities can keep a close watch on its emergence and contain the spread once found.”
This clade, or group, of fungus is the sixth strain identified. Identifying this new strain is important as it will allow doctors to properly identify it when they come across it, so that treatment and containment can begin right away.
So far, this strain has only been found in Singapore and Bangladesh, but it has the potential to spread to other parts of the world if not properly contained.
Let’s hope this doesn’t follow the same path as the “Last of Us” show.
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