The ICU bug: What is Candida auris that is worrying doctors

The coronavirus may indicate that it is slowly becoming endemic, but a germ seems to be the next threat to humanity.

This is the so-called Candida auris, a resistant, which has already made its appearance and has worried the global scientific community.

What is the bacterium Candida auris

Candida auris is a fungus that when it infects humans can cause serious medical complications, especially respiratory infections, ear infections and sepsis.

The fungus was first identified in Japan in 2009. These fungal infections are fatal in 70% of cases, due to the resistance of the fungus to existing treatments, particularly echinocandins, azoles and polyenes. They effectively infect patients in a hospital setting, especially in intensive care units.

Sypsas: "It is already creating a problem for us - We will come up against it"

The discussion was opened by the professor of Infectious Diseases Pathology at the Medical School of Athens University, and secretary of the Hellenic Society of Infections, Nikos Sypsas, who even spoke of a deadly germ, much more so than the coronavirus.

Mr. Sypsas, speaking at the 21st Panhellenic Congress of Infections, explained that it is "a highly resistant germ, which is already causing us problems and we will come up against it."

How this new germ is created

As the professor underlined, "we are going through an endemic phase of the pandemic. But there are other threats, such as very resistant germs, which are a big problem. In 2050 the first cause of death will be very resistant germs and the causes of very resistant germs are the over-consumption of antibiotics as well as bad hand hygiene practices ".

At the same time, Mr. Sypsas stressed that after the coronavirus, the health system should focus on the problem of persistent infections in hospitals. As he mentioned, in recent years the people responsible for dealing with problems from the highly resistant germs have stopped acting, as they also fell in the fight against the coronavirus.