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The Oregon Health Authority said in a statement on Tuesday, Dec. 28 that three cases of the so-called "Superbug" -- the first-ever in the state's history -- have been detected.
The infection has only recently appeared in the United States after first identified in 2009 in Asia, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
The first Oregon case, confirmed on Friday, Dec. 17 at Salem Hospital, involved a patient who had recent international health care exposures.
The other two cases "did not have international health care exposures, but had epidemiologic links to the first case, indicating the healthcare-associated spread of Candida auris to the second and third patients," the Oregon Health Authority said.
Those two cases were identified Thursday, Dec. 23, and Monday, Dec. 27, respectively.
Candida auris can cause severe infections and spread easily between hospitalized patients and nursing home residents, the CDC said.
According to the CDC:
- Some strains of Candida auris are resistant to all three available classes of antifungals
- It can cause outbreaks in healthcare facilities
- Some common healthcare disinfectants are less effective at eliminating it
- It can be carried on patients’ skin without causing infection, allowing spread to others
For more information on Candida auris from the CDC, click here.
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