Candidozyma Auris Continues Rapid Spread In European Hospitals

The latest study from nan European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), nan 4th of its kind, confirms that Candidozyma auris (formerly Candida auris) continues to dispersed quickly crossed European hospitals, posing a superior threat to patients and healthcare systems. Case numbers are rising, outbreaks are increasing successful scale, and respective countries study ongoing section transmission. The findings item nan value of early discovery and power of transmission to debar wide accelerated dissemination.

Candidozyma auris (C. auris) is simply a fungus that usually spreads wrong healthcare facilities, is often resistant to antifungal drugs, and tin origin terrible infections successful earnestly sick patients. Its expertise to persist connected different surfaces and aesculapian instrumentality and to dispersed betwixt patients makes it peculiarly challenging to control. Between 2013 and 2023, EU/EEA countries reported complete 4 000 cases, pinch a important jump to 1 346 cases reported by 18 countries successful 2023 alone. Five countries – Spain, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Germany – person accounted for astir of nan cases complete nan decade.

C. auris has dispersed wrong only a fewer years – from isolated cases to becoming wide successful immoderate countries. This shows really quickly it tin found itself successful hospitals. But this is not inevitable. Early discovery and rapid, coordinated infection power tin still forestall further transmission."

Dr. Diamantis Plachouras, Head of ECDC's Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections Section

Recent outbreaks person been reported successful Cyprus, France and Germany, while Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain person indicated they tin nary longer separate circumstantial outbreaks owed to wide location aliases nationalist dissemination. In respective of these countries, sustained section transmission has occurred wrong only a fewer years aft nan first documented case, highlighting a captious model for early interventions to extremity its spread.

While immoderate countries person showed affirmative results successful limiting C. auris outbreaks, galore are facing cardinal gaps. Despite rising lawsuit numbers, only 17 of 36 participating countries presently person a nationalist surveillance strategy successful spot for C. auris. Only 15 countries person developed circumstantial nationalist infection prevention and power guidance. Laboratory capacity is comparatively stronger, pinch 29 countries reporting entree to a mycology reference aliases master laboratory and 23 offering reference testing for hospitals.

While nan number of C. auris infections is intelligibly rising, without systematic surveillance and mandatory reporting, nan existent standard of nan problem is apt under-reported.

ECDC has regularly assessed nan epidemiological situation, laboratory capacity and preparedness for C. auris successful 4 surveys since 2018 and published accelerated consequence assessments including options for infection prevention and control. This is to support Member States successful improving their preparedness and early consequence capacities to forestall aliases incorporate C. auris outbreaks successful a timely mode and forestall further transmission.