As concerns have heightened at hospitals and other healthcare facilities around the country about a drug-resistant strain of fungus, Connecticut health officials say they’ve not documented any new cases in the state.
The Department of Public Health said Tuesday that a previously disclosed 2017 case at an acute care hospital — which it has not named — remains Connecticut’s sole known instance of the fungus, a type of yeast known as Candida auris, which causes potentially deadly blood infections.
As of February, 587 cases of C. auris had been confirmed in 12 states nationwide. About 95 percent of those outbreaks were found in just three states: New York (309), Illinois (144) and New Jersey (104). Massachusetts has confirmed seven cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC).
The first U.S. cases were detected in 2016.
“Candida auris is an emerging pathogen of concern because it causes serious infections, is often resistant to antifungal medications, and can spread in healthcare settings,” DPH said back in 2017.
The agency worked with hospital staff at the time to prevent further spread.
A recent New York Times story raised questions about the CDC’s information sharing arrangements with hospitals — deals that bar the agency from disclosing where infectious outbreaks are detected, which some argue endanger patients.
More than 30 countries have reported at least one case of C. auris since it was discovered a decade ago, according to CDC.
In response to its spread, DPH sad Connecticut has implemented several precautionary measures.
For example, the Katherine A. Kelley State Public Health Laboratory (SPHL) helps healthcare facilities test for the presence of C. auris and identify patients who may be more likely to be carrying the fungus.
