The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has been investigating outbreaks of Candida auris since mid-April in skilled nursing facilities, long-term acute-care hospitals and acute-care hospitals across the state, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
State healthcare providers were notified of the problem in a recent technical bulletin, the Review-Journal reported Tuesday. Most of the cases appear to be concentrated in southern Nevada, according to a spokesperson from the state’s public health laboratory.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it is supporting state health officials as they respond to the outbreak, which appears to be affecting “several” healthcare facilities, the news outlet found.
“CDC experts are assisting with identifying additional cases, assessing facility infection control practices and ensuring staff are educated on C. auris and its prevention strategies,” a CDC representative said.
Candida auris is a deadly fungus that often crops up in long-term care settings. It resists not only antifungal drugs, but also cleaning efforts, and is found on surfaces all over affected facilities. A 2019 study in long-term care facilities found that it sheds with patients’ skin, helping to explain widespread contamination when it takes hold in a healthcare setting.
“C. auris can persist on patients and in the environment for weeks and can spread among patients through contact with contaminated surfaces,” the CDC representative told the Review-Journal.
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