BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — A drug-resistant fungus called Candida auris is spreading rapidly through Texas hospitals, posing significant risks to vulnerable patients in long-term care facilities and those with compromised immune systems.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 2,800 cases of Candida auris nationwide this year, with Texas accounting for approximately 727 of those cases. The fungus is particularly concerning because it's difficult to treat and spreads easily in healthcare settings.
"This type of fungus, it is not for the general population to be alerted, it is more so found in hospital settings, nursing care facilities," Brazos County Health District Epidemiologist Aaliyah Thomas said.
The fungus can survive on hospital surfaces and spread through contaminated medical equipment, making proper disinfection protocols critical for prevention.
"I make sure I clean everything, wipe everything down between every patient to make sure that we're not transmitting any germs or other extra infections, that's not necessary," Registered Nurse and Public Health Nurse Navigator, Rai Janiece Robinson-Aleman said.
Thomas explained how the infection can spread in healthcare facilities.
"If you're touching the door knobs, if you're at the hospital, and you're touching the bedside table and then we're sharing these different items in the hospitals so then someone else can touch it and then it can become infected in our body it gets in our bloodstream," she said.
While the risk to the general public remains low, long-term hospital patients face the greatest danger from this infection.
Thomas emphasized that prevention requires proper education and protocols among healthcare workers.
"I think it's important to educate healthcare workers on infection control because if the health care workers in these facilities can disinfect and sterilize properly we can see a decrease of this outbreak," she said.
Health experts stress the importance of maintaining vigilance in healthcare settings to protect vulnerable patients from this emerging threat.
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