The National Center for Epidemics and Communicable Diseases recommended that the fungus “Candida auris” be included in the national monitoring systems for antimicrobial resistance, especially in hospitals.

In a statement today, Sunday, the center called for strictly applying infection control procedures in hospitals, raising the awareness of health personnel working in them as one of the best ways to protect patients from infection, and emphasizing the importance of adhering to the policies and protocols used in combating antibiotic resistance.

He pointed out that this type of fungus is not included in the national monitoring systems, noting that no incidents of infection in hospitals due to this type of fungus have been reported in Jordan. He pointed out that the risk of infection spreading is expected to be low so far.

The center recommended emphasizing the tasks and responsibilities of those involved in infection control liaison officers with regard to infection prevention in hospitals and health institutions, in addition to intensifying the conduct of training and educational courses for health personnel on hospital-acquired infection monitoring programs, methods of breaking the infection cycle, in addition to case definition, methods of detection and reporting. about her.

The center confirmed that the infection with the “Candida auris” fungus, which recently spread in health facilities in the United States of America, does not pose a threat to society and public health, indicating that it may pose a danger to patients with high health risk who are long-term residents in hospitals, and need medical interventions. Such as the use of respirators, central venous catheters, and urinary catheters.

He pointed out the importance of taking precautions and caution against contracting this infection by the concerned authorities. Due to the high death rate in the case of infection by 30-60 percent of infected patients, it is also difficult to diagnose the microbe.

The center indicated that it is unlikely that routine travel to countries where the disease is spread will lead to infection with it. Especially, the infection is transmitted among high-risk patients who receive treatment in hospitals for a long time.

The “Candida auris” fungus, which was discovered only 10 years ago, is considered one of the dangerous microbes that spread in hospitals worldwide through contact with contaminated surfaces or environmental equipment, or from one infected person to another, or through contaminated hands.

This type of microbe has spread in many regions of the world, and recent research indicates that climate changes may be behind the increase in the spread, and it has acquired the name Auris from the Latin word meaning ear.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called for a better understanding of this microbe, Candida auris. To reduce risks, identify people at high risk, and the necessary measures to limit the spread.

Candida auris is a type of microbial fungus that is transmissible through infection between humans. This fungus was first discovered in the ear canal of a Japanese patient at Tokyo Geriatric Hospital in 2009.

In most cases, the “Candida auris” fungus lives on the skin without causing any disease symptoms, but it can cause a disease when immunity decreases or when the microbe enters the blood circulation or lungs inside the body, which may pose a threat to human life due to the microbe’s resistance to antifungal drugs. .

The fungus Candida auris spread at an alarming rate in health care facilities in the United States in 2020, and the number of clinical cases tripled and reached 1471 cases in 2021. Infection with Candida auris poses a threat due to its resistance to antimicrobials; Which leads to high death rates.

The National Center for Epidemics and Communicable Diseases is constantly following the local, regional and global epidemiological situation and any developments, including what has recently spread about this type of fungus, as the World Health Organization has classified that fungal pathogens pose a major threat to public health because they have become increasingly common and resistant to treatment, especially among the global risk groups.