Terrifying alert over rise in lethal fungus experts say is a ‘threat to humanity’

Health officials have sounded the alarm over a killer fungus that poses a ‘serious threat to humanity’ and is spreading in UK hospitals. 

Candidozyma auris (C. auris) can survive on surfaces in hospitals, as well as the skin, for a long period of time and is often resistant to disinfectants and anti-fungal medication. 

But, if spores enter the body, either through wounds or via a needle during medical treatment, it can cause serious and life-threatening infections. 

The infection can spread to the blood, brain, spinal cord, bones, abdomen, ears, respiratory tract and urinary system, and kill. 

It is so deadly that the World Health Organisation has identified it as one of 19 lethal fungi that pose a ‘serious threat to humanity’.

Now, a new alert from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has raised the alarm over a rise in infections caused by fungus, including candidozyma auris, reaching 2,247 reports last year. 

While there were 637 cases of C auris over the last decade, nearly 200 of these were detected last year alone. 

Invasive fungal infections are already estimated to cause at least 2.5million deaths globally each year. 

C. auris predominately affects people in healthcare settings, including those with a weakened immune system 

Weakened immune systems are driving the spread of a killer fungus that could pose a serious threat to humanity, experts have warned

According to the Professor Andy Borman, Head of the Mycology Reference Laboratory, UKHSA, the reason for the rise may be an increase in people who are immunocompromised, as well as rising numbers of people undergoing complex surgeries.

‘The rise of drug-resistant C. auris means we must remain vigilant to protect patient safety’, he added. 

C. auris, which is predominantly found in healthcare settings, was first identified in 2009 in the ear of a Japanese patient and since then has been found in more than 40 countries across 6 continents. 

While most people don’t get sick from coming into contact with the fungus—which is predominantly found in hospitals, on radiators, windowsills, sinks, and medical equipment such as blood pressure cuffs—infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat once they take hold. 

People with weakened immune systems—especially those who received healthcare abroad last year, who have spent a lot of time in hospital, are in intensive care, or have been treated with certain antibiotics—are at a significantly higher risk. 

Patients who require medical devices which go into their body, such as catheters, are also at an increased risk. 

The fungus spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, or via direct contact with individuals who carry the fungus on their skin, without developing an infection—known as colonisation.

Experts are particularly concerned that the fungus, which reproduced far quicker than humans, is becoming more resistant to drug treatments. 

More and more strains of the fungus are becoming resistant to even high doses of anti-fungal drugs  

Matthew Langsworth, 32, developed a life-threatening blood infection caused by invasive aspergillosis after inhaling fungal spores that were living in his home

This means, the more these organisms come into contact with antifungal drugs, the more likely it is that resistant strains—or super-fungi—will emerge. 

To tackle this threat, the health and safety watchdog has increased surveillance, and has flagged C. auris as a notifiable infection, meaning that hospitals must report all cases, to help control outbreaks. 

The government is urging healthcare providers to identify colonised or infected patients early, including patients who had stayed overnight in a healthcare facility outside the UK last year.

They have also suggested that single-use equipment should be used where possible—making sure that reusable items, such as blood pressure cuffs, undergo effective decontamination. 

The UKHSA has also sounded the alarm over Candida albicans, Nakaseomyces glabratus, and Candida parapsilosis—fungi that can enter the bloodstream and cause infection. 

The warning follows the outbreak of another killer fungus that infects millions of people a year earlier this month. 

Aspergillus, a type of mould, is all around us—in the air, soil, food and in decaying organic matter.

But if spores enter the lungs, the fungi can grow into a lumps the size of tennis balls, causing severe breathing issues—a condition called aspergillosis.

The infection can then spread to the skin, brain, heart or kidneys, and kill.

Researchers say a rise in global temperatures is fueling the growth and spread of aspergillus across Europe, increasing the risk of the deadly illness.