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 More than 150 people in Illinois have been sickened by the fungal
disease, known as Candida auris. That total represents about a
fourth of all the cases nationally and is second only to New York.
Nearly every Illinois case has been in Chicago or its surrounding
counties; three cases were reported near St. Louis.
If you’re in a hospital like Memorial Medical Center in Springfield,
for example, the likelihood you’ll become infected with the fungus
is extremely rare.
The vast majority of cases have been found in “post-acute and
long-term care facilities, especially long-term acute care hospitals
and skilled nursing facilities that take care of patients on
ventilators,” according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
These facilities take care of the most critically ill patients,
whose weakened immune systems mean they’re already at risk for
infection.
“There’s no need for healthy people to worry about this fungus,”
said Gina Carnduff, system director of infection prevention at
Memorial Medical Center.
While the fungus is often resistant to drug treatment, the Chicago
Tribune reported that the fungus “is not widely infecting healthy
people” and most cases in Illinois have been treatable. Patients who
have the fungus are frequently sick from other medical conditions or
have compromised immune systems.
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Even if the fungus were to become common in local hospitals, Memorial Health
System’s four hospitals already have stringent infection control practices in
place to reduce the transmission of healthcare-associated infections, Carnduff
said.
These include an ultraviolet bacteria-killing robot and bleach-based
disinfectants. Further, patients with antibiotic-resistant infections are placed
into isolation in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The fungus doesn’t become a health issue for patients until it invades their
blood, heart or brain. You can even have the fungus on your body without
developing an infection or any symptoms, Illinois health officials said.
That’s why it’s always important to wash your hands when you visit the hospital,
Carnduff said. It’s also a good practice in general. Regular hand-washing is one
of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick and prevent the spread of
germs to others, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
[MICHAEL LEATHERS, MHS] |
