A lethal fungus, Candida auris (C. auris), is raising concerns as it spreads throughout the United States and could soon endanger the global population.
Killing over one-third of infected individuals, C. auris is particularly dangerous to those who are already ill, rely on invasive medical devices, or frequently visit healthcare facilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that the drug-resistant mold has spread at an "alarming rate," primarily in medical buildings, but is now being detected in other locations, with five severe outbreaks in Nevada.
Scientists say that many more cases likely remain undetected, as the fungal infection is difficult to diagnose and its symptoms, including fever and chills, resemble those of other conditions.
"The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control," says CDC epidemiologist Dr. Meghan Lyman.
Dr. Gabe Mirkin warns that those with immune diseases, obesity, high blood pressure, and organ damage are particularly vulnerable: "These are the people who are especially in big trouble."
Researchers speculate that climate change may have enabled C. auris, first detected in the US in 2016, to infect people. Fungi usually cannot survive the heat of mammalian bodies, but as spores adapt to increasing global temperatures, they can better tolerate warmer environments. The World Health Organization recently declared that "fungal pathogens are a major threat to public health."
The HBO series The Last of Us has capitalized on this idea, portraying a fictional fungus that turns people into zombies. The show is based on a real-life mushroom called Ophiocordyceps, or zombie-ant fungus, which has mind-control capabilities over its insect hosts.
Mycology expert Bryn Dentinger explains, "There's very likely some sort of chemical attack on the host that ends up manipulating brain behavior."
Although Ophiocordyceps cannot infect humans, Dentinger cautions, "maybe that will happen in the future!" Furthermore, experts say that climate change could cause C. auris, a type of yeast, to mutate into an even deadlier killer.