New CDC Data Released As Dangerous 'Superbug' Threat To NJ Rises

NEW JERSEY – New data was released this week about an "urgent threat" regarding a dangerous, drug-resistant fungus infection that's risen 35 percent in New Jersey over the past seven months.

The cases of "Candida auris," a serious and sometimes fatal fungal infection that is emerging globally, have been identified in New Jersey and 13 other states across America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A CDC report released on Wednesday placed Candida auris among five "superbugs" that are considered "urgent threats" to the United States, killing someone in the United States every 15 minutes. The same report says more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result, the report says.

"CDC is concerned about rising resistant infections in the community, which can put more people at risk, make spread more difficult to identify and contain, and threaten the progress made to protect patients in healthcare," the report says. "The emergence and spread of new forms of resistance remains a concern."

The CDC says there have been 137 confirmed cases of C. auris, otherwise known as the "superbug," in New Jersey, a 35 percent increase over April when there were 101. There are also 22 probable cases.

The state trails only New York, which has had 388 confirmed cases, and Illinois, which has had 227. The CDC says there have been 806 confirmed cases across the country, a 27 percent increase over April.

By contrast, in October 2017, the CDC reported that New Jersey had 27 confirmed cases of the infection and 23 probable cases. At the time, the state's number was the second highest in the nation, behind only New York, which had 92 confirmed cases and 4 probable.

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

Based on information from a limited number of patients, the CDC says, 30–60 percent of people with C. auris infections have died. However, many of these people had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death.

"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.

Indeed, the disease has presented itself as enough of a threat that the CDC awarded Rutgers University a $300,000 contract over two years to fight the infection's spread as part of the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative.

“It’s acting like a superbug," Paige Armstrong, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, has said. "Without appropriate infection control and really a rigorous response, [it] could lead to even more cases in the United States.”

The disease's presence in New Jersey first became public in 2016 when the CDC warned that two people in New Jersey and at least 7 people nationwide were stricken.

At the time, four of the patients – including one in New Jersey – died, although it is unclear whether all the deaths were associated with C. auris infection or underlying health conditions.

The New Jersey patient died in July 2015 after suffering from a brain tumor, according to the CDC. The agency did not say where the New Jersey cases took place.

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 US 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.

Here are ways to avoid contracting the disease:

• One of the best ways to prevent the spread of dangerous germs like C. auris in healthcare settings is good hand hygiene. Washing hands frequently can help prevent its spread.
• Early and accurate identification, rigorous infection control practices, and communication between facilities are key to reducing the spread in healthcare settings.
• Proper infection control involves consistent handwashing, use of personal protective equipment and cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment and the healthcare environment.
• When patients are transferred to other healthcare facilities, the receiving facilities should be notified of C. auris infection and the level of precautions recommended.