A silent killer fungus is evolving faster than our defenses-and it's spreading worldwide. Indian researchers from the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute at University of Delhi, collaborating with the US National Institutes of Health, have uncovered how Candida auris-a multidrug-resistant pathogen-is growing deadlier, colonizing skin like glue, and fueling invasive infections that kill over 50% of victims despite treatment. Published in Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, their comprehensive review reveals why this "superbug" threatens 6.5 million people yearly and demands urgent global action.
Candida auris emerged just over a decade ago but now ravages hospitals globally, resisting most antifungals and mimicking harmless yeasts on standard tests. Its tricks include shape-shifting from single yeast cells to thread-like filaments for invasion, clumping into protective aggregates, and tweaking gene expression to adapt on the fly. What makes it especially sneaky? Cell wall proteins that stick it to human skin, hospital surfaces, and even medical devices—turning patients into unwitting carriers who spread it between wards.
The team synthesized global data on its biology, showing how C. auris evades immune attacks by proactive defenses, while diagnostics often misidentify it, delaying life-saving care. Colonized skin becomes a launchpad for bloodstream invasions, with mortality soaring in vulnerable groups like the elderly, diabetics, and immunocompromised. Long-term skin persistence risks hospital-wide outbreaks and systemic disease.
Key findings highlight its virulence surge: filament formation aids tissue penetration, aggregates shield against drugs and immune cells, and environmental adaptability fuels persistence. The fungus outsmarts host defenses, thriving where others fail.
Awareness lags behind its spread—early detection and hygiene could curb transmission. This wake-up call reveals C. auris as a master evader, but armed with its playbook, science can fight back smarter. In resource-poor settings hit hardest, simple vigilance might save millions from this fungal apocalypse.
REFERENCE: Chowdhary A, Lionakis MS, Chauhan N. 0. Candida auris: host interactions, antifungal drug resistance, and diagnostics. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 0:e00187-22; https://doi.org/10.1128/mmbr.00187-22
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