144 Cases Of Dangerous 'Superbug' Confirmed In Illinois: CDC

ACROSS ILLINOIS — More than 140 cases of a potentially fatal, drug-resistant fungal infection have been confirmed in Illinois, presenting what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling "a serious global health threat." The cases of Candida auris, a serious and sometimes fatal fungal infection that has been called a "superbug," have been identified in Illinois and 11 other states across America, according to the CDC.

Illinois' 144 confirmed cases — plus four probable cases — trail only New York, which has had 309 confirmed cases. In total, the CDC says there have been 587 confirmed cases across the country as of the end of February.

"Most C. auris cases in the United States have been detected in the New York City area, New Jersey, and the Chicago area," according to the CDC.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, C. auris can cause bloodstream infections and even death, particularly in hospital patients and nursing home residents who already have serious medical problems. More than 1 in 3 patients with invasive C. auris die, IDPH said.

This yeast is difficult to identify and often does not respond to commonly used anti-fungal drugs, leading to high mortality, according to health officials.

"Between May 24, 2016, and Sept. 26, 2018, 368 cases of C. auris have been identified in Illinois. Of these, 290 cases were colonized (i.e., identified by culturing C. auris from a swab that was rubbed on a patient’s skin), and 72 were confirmed clinical cases (i.e., identified by culturing C. auris from sites such as blood, wounds, urine, or sputum)."

In 2013, there were reportedly only 13 cases across the entire United States.

Globally, Candida auris has been reported in eight other countries, including two with more than 30 patients each, the 2016 report added.

Candida grows as yeast, and symptoms include difficulty swallowing, burning, genital itching and sometimes a cheese-like discharge that looks white, according to the CDC.

In 2009, C. auris was first described in a patient in Japan. There is documented transmission of C. auris to U.S. patients from healthcare facilities in India, Pakistan, South Africa and Venezuela, according to the CDC.

Fungal infections often cause serious disease among patients with compromised immune systems or other debilitating conditions resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Globally, nearly 1.4 million deaths a year are attributed to invasive fungal infections, which is on par with deadly diseases like tuberculosis, according to the CDC.

More information and updates: cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/

Tom Davis, Patch National Staff, contributed to this report