Deadly fungus likely to threaten Alberta hospitals and care homes, experts warn – CBC

4 cases of the superbug, Candida auris, confirmed in the province since 2020

Apr 18, 2023

A deadly, drug resistant fungus sparking concern in the United States has been detected in very small numbers in Alberta, and experts say vigilance will be key in the battle to prevent outbreaks in hospitals and care homes.

Calling it a “serious global health threat,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned recently that Candida auris (C. auris) is spreading at an alarming rate in U.S. health-care facilities.

According to Alberta Health, four cases have been confirmed in the province since the fungus started being tracked as a “disease under surveillance” in 2020 (three in 2022 and one in 2021).

“It will be a threat here as it will be in every major health-care facility in the developed world,” said Dr. John Gill, a Calgary-based infectious disease specialist.

C. auris, a yeast first identified in 2009 in Japan, can cause serious infections in people who are already very sick or immune compromised (including chemotherapy and transplant patients and those with invasive medical devices), often in hospitals and nursing homes.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/deadly-fungus-alberta-hospitals-1.6814107