‘Superbug’ Infection Spreading In PA, Around U.S.: See Latest Data

PENNSYLVANIA- A drug-resistant, potentially deadly fungus continues to grow at a troubling rate in the U.S., including in Pennsylvania, per the latest federal and state figures.

According to the CDC, C. auris is an "emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat” that kills about one-third of people who contract it. The fungus is mostly found in health care facilities, particularly in long-term acute care hospitals and nursing homes that use ventilators.

As of Jan. 1, 2024, there were 282 total recorded cases of the “superbug” in Pennsylvania since 2020, with 91 cases reported in 2023 and 97 cases reported in 2022 — the highest number recorded of any rent year, according to Pennsylvania Department of Health data. Eight cases have been recorded thus far in 2024.

Most of the cases have been recorded in Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks and Lehigh counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, the agency said.

"Candida auris is an emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat," according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. "It is often multidrug-resistant and difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods ... It can spread rapidly throughout healthcare facilities causing outbreaks and severe infections in high-risk patients."

When the fungus enters the bloodstream of an individual and spreads throughout the body, serious invasive infections may occur; The fungus also doesn’t usually respond to commonly used antifungal drugs, making infections difficult to treat.

In recent weeks, the fungus has sparked outbreaks in Washington, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. In fact, U.S. cases of C. auris are higher than they’ve ever been on record, according to Medpage Today.

"C. auris, infections typically occur in hospitals or other health care facilities, not in public settings," The Pennsylvania Department of Health said in a statement to Patch. "More specifically, Candida auris infection cases occur almost exclusively in patients with high medical needs within a health care setting, such as patients who need ventilators, central lines, and antibiotics, or other patients who have high-risk factors for disease acquisition. People in the community are highly unlikely to get the fungal infection."

C. auris can also stay on surfaces in healthcare facilities (such as bed rails, bed sheets, door handles, oxygen masks and more) for long periods of time and can survive on plastic for multiple weeks, according to Medpage Today.

The CDC encourages health care workers to be proactive and vigilant to contain the spread of the deadly fungus, including maintaining adherence to hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting patient care environments, screening contacts of new case patients and laboratory testing of clinical specimens to detect new cases.

"Healthcare facilities should be on the lookout for new introductions of C. auris from patients who received healthcare elsewhere in the U.S. or abroad in areas with C. auris transmission," the Pennsylvania Department of Health added.

If C. auris is suspected or identified, contact your local health department and the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-877-PA-HEALTH.