CDC: Cases of deadly fungus spreading at an alarming rate in Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A deadly fungal infection is spreading at an alarming rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Georgia, 12 cases of Candida auris were detected according to officials.

Atlanta News First spoke with Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum, whose studies focus on fungus.

According to Dr. Ghannoum, the spread of C. Auris is mostly in hospitals or nursing homes, but it is very difficult to treat.

“It could be resistant to all antifungals we have approved in the market,” he said.

According to the CDC, C. Auris causes severe illness in hospitalized patients and in some cases, it can spread to the bloodstream and cause serious invasive infections.

“It’s difficult to identify, you need to take a blood sample or from the wound and you need to do tests,” Dr. Ghannoum said.

The fungus is spread from person to person contact or contact with a contaminated surface.

But Dr. Ghannoum pointed out, if you’re relatively healthy, you shouldn’t panic.

“Healthy people usually don’t have that, it is really a disease of the sick or immunocompromised patients,” he said.

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