CDC warns of spike in U.S. cases of deadly fungal infection

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Published 2023-03-20
The CDC addresses the spread of a potentially deadly fungal infection by warning it may be very serious for older people as cases tripled between 2020 and 2021. NBC’s Dr. John Torres explains who is most at risk and what can be done to protect oneself against the infection. 

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#CDC #Infection #Fungus

All Comments (21)
  • @ElyesBoudhina
    Why did this take place right after "The last of us" show ended?
  • @tukbol1
    You have played the game, you’ve seen the TV show, now you’re living it in real life
  • My son just died from a fungal infection that went to his blood. After he did his first and only round of chemo. For a cancer that was completely treatable! I’m so hurt. Only 28 years old
  • My mom is 70 years old yet in very good health. Last year she was diagnosed with a fungal infection in her lungs, pneumonia, sepsis, anemia, and was hospitalized for five days. She was put on antibiotics for 6 months and three CAT scans later, she still has a little bit of the infection left although most of it is gone. Let's hope more people don't have to go through what my mom has been though. It was devastating to our family because the doctors initially misdiagnosed her with lung cancer. I am very thankful she doesn't have cancer, yet a fungal lung infection is terrible because you basically can't breathe well enough to be physically active. Please pray this fungus leaves my mom's body for good. Thank you.
  • Not in freak out mode yet, but the way you reported it says otherwise. Great reporting to keep people calm.
  • @coldblue32E
    So we went from the movie Contagion to the start of The Last of Us?
  • @CA-tk8yn
    In other words their letting us know by telling us there's really nothing we can do about it as it's the facilities that need to sanitize properly! Thanks
  • When she said "it's not a threat to people who are generally healthy" that's all i needed to hear. Good luck grandma, you made it this far.
  • @TheEnd-vn9rb
    “Let’s wait for the last episode to drop and then we will release the story that’s not actually a story yet.”
  • “This kind of infection is resistant to most drug.” It might be helpful to tell people which drugs it’s not resistant to so they will know how to treat it. Just saying
  • @frankm7707
    It’s time to stock up like Bill and Frank.
  • @Brownyman
    "What if, for instance, the world were to get slightly warmer? Well, now there is reason to evolve." -The Last of Us, S01E01
  • Folks were asking for more info: Candidiasis is an increasingly important nosocomial infection, (it's caused by a patient's caretakers). Although Candida albicans, (causes vaginal infections in women) is the most common cause of candidemia, (now it's growing in your bloodstream - which is normally sterile), there has been increased isolation of non-albicans species of Candida in recent years. C. Auris is an invasive species of Candida (a fungus). Patients in the intensive care unit and those who are immunocompromised are most at risk for the development of candidemia. The clinical manifestations of candidemia vary from minimal fever to a full-blown sepsis syndrome that resembles severe bacterial infection. Invasive candidiasis is defined by hematogenous spread to multiple viscera (e.g., eye, kidney, heart valves, brain). Clinical clues on physical examination that point to possible hematogenous spread of Candida include characteristic eye lesions (chorioretinitis with or without vitritis), skin lesions, and, much less commonly, muscle abscesses. Management of candidemia consists of early and appropriate antifungal therapy and targeted source control, along with individualized decisions regarding central venous catheter removal. Blood cultures should be performed daily or every other day after initiation of antifungal therapy and catheter removal to establish clearance of candidemia. Initial therapy — Treatment of candidemia consists of prompt initiation of antifungal therapy. Antifungal agents include the echinocandins, the azoles, and amphotericin B formulations. In patients with infections due to Candida auris, targeted initial treatment is done with an echinocandin (anti-fungal).
  • @aaronlane8276
    Wasn’t the outbreak in The Last of Us a fungal infection outbreak 😷