Deadly Drug Resistant Fungus Spreading Through Illinois

You thought we were done with widespread, deadly diseases?

There's a fungal, drug-resistant, potentially deadly disease that's making the rounds that you may not have even heard of. And the weird part: you may never show symptoms.

It's considered a global health threat by the folks at Center for Disease Control. It's been making it's way across the U.S. for about a year and it's getting worse, particularly in Illinois.

What To Know About C. Auris

This dangerous fungus is known as Candida auris. It's a type of yeast fungus that can make you really sick and is easily spread in healthcare facilities. It can cause infections in open wounds, your bloodstream, and (randomly) your ears.

There is not a common set of symptoms for the infection. But symptoms could be similar to a bacteria infection.

It's spreading rapidly in the U.S., with Illinois being a hotspot for it.

For people with underlying health conditions, individuals who were already sick, or people with external medical devices like breathing tubes or catheters, they are more at risk for developing severe, life-threatening C. auris.

People who are healthy can be exposed to the fungus without complications but they could also unknowingly pass it on. Check out CDC's video explaining it:

The Spread Of It

The problem with trying to contain C. auris is that it's drug-resistant. Data from the CDC shows that 276 clinical cases of it have been reported in Illinois within the past year or so. Cases of it have been reported in Iowa too, but no clinical cases yet.

The only way to see if you have C. auris is to have a colonization screening done, where a doctor swabs your armpit or groin to test for it, or to have a clinical specimen testing of your blood or urine.

C. auris is a perfect example of why you should do things like use hand sanitizer or wash your hands when you visit someone in a nursing home or hospital, as the CDC recommends.