12 cases of rapidly spreading, potentially deadly fungus found in Georgia, CDC reports

ATLANTA — Cases of a drug-resistant and potentially deadly fungus have been reported around Georgia, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

The CDC reported on Monday that an emerging fungus called Candida auris is spreading alarmingly in United States healthcare facilities.

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The fungus first appeared in 2016, but the CDC says they have seen an alarming spike over the past year. At least 12 cases of C. auris have been reported in Georgia in the last year.

“The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control,” CDC epidemiologist Dr. Meghan Lyman, lead author of the paper, said.

The fungus can be especially dangerous in people with weakened immune systems. The fungus is not a threat to those who are generally healthy, according to CDC.

However, the CDC says around a third of the people contracting the fungal infection will die.

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CDC officials said case counts may have increased due to poor infection prevention and control practices in healthcare facilities and enhanced efforts to detect cases.

“CDC continues to work with state, local, and territorial health departments and other partners to address this emerging threat to public health.”

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