A deadly fungal infection has emerged in the U.S. after health officials warned American doctor’s to beware of this spreading pathogen.
This fungus, known as Candida auris, started circulating throughout the globe in 2009, according to The Washington Post.
It was reportedly first detected in an ear infection in Japan, and has since then been discovered in nine other countries, including Columbia, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
The infection, which is reportedly resistant to drugs used to treat fungal infections, is said to cause severe infections in the bloodstream and can survive on a person’s skin for months.
As 60 percent of people diagnosed with the infection have died, the Post reported.
The most cases of this infection in the U.S. have been reported in New York, where nearly 30 people have fallen victim to the fungus.
According to the Post, last June, the CDC issued an alert, encouraging doctors to be on the lookout for Candida.
“As soon as we put out that alert, we started to get information about cases and now we know more about how it spreads and how it’s acting,” Tom Chiller, a fungal expert with CDC, told the Post.
“These pathogens are increasing, they’re new, they’re scary and they’re very difficult to combat,” said Anne Schuchat, CDC’s acting director, according to the Post
Unlike most pathogens, the Candida fungus can survive a day or more of dryness, according to NPR.
Dr. Riina Rautemaa-Richardson, a researcher at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, said traditional cleaning methods aren’t effective when trying to clean the fungus, NPR noted.
“You have to wash and scrub, and not just put alcohol gel on equipment,” Richardson said.
In January, the CDC encouraged health officials to isolate individuals found to be infected with the pathogen.