Deadly Fungus Rapidly Spreading Across The South Enters Alabama
There is a new concern amongst Americans that not only has the attention of the CDC, but hospitals and nursing homes as well.
Who doesn't remember the years 2019-2022?
During those years, COVID-19 was at its peak and the world looked completely different.
Places that were normally packed with people looked like deserted places where no one lived.
It felt like COVID-19 left zero parts of the globe untouched. That included the state of Alabama.
At the height of football season, things felt like they began to take a wild turn when it came to COVID-19 in Alabama. We even had to postpone one of the biggest games of the season.
There seems to be another health concern among us and it's caught the attention of the CDC.
According to the CDC, this new deadly fungus is spreading rapidly through southern states.
It's called Candida auris. It's an emerging fungus that the CDC says presents a serious global health threat. It's even claimed a few lives so far.
The CDC states that this yeast can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, causing serious invasive infections. This fungus has made its way into the state of Alabama. The CDC is concerned about infections from Candida auris for three reasons:
- It is often multidrug-resistant, meaning that it is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs commonly used to treat Candida infections.
- It is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and it can be misidentified in labs without specific technology. Misidentification may lead to inappropriate management.
- It has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings. For this reason, it is important to quickly identify C. auris in a hospitalized patient so that healthcare facilities can take special precautions to stop its spread.
According to WDHN, hospital or nursing home patients who have had tubes in their bodies are at high risk and the best way to prevent becoming infected includes practicing good hand washing.
WDHN also says that the fungus disease could cause severe infections and a high death rate ranging from 30 to 60 percent.
A data map of Candida auris infections across the United States shows infection rates in certain states. Southern states like Texas, Florida, and Georgia have some of the highest rates in the country.
Florida has a whopping total of 349 cases. Alabama currently has six cases.
At the rate the fungus is spreading, it wouldn't be shocking if Alabama's numbers increased drastically in the coming months.
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