Michigan’s Got a Fungus Issue And It’s Kind of a Big Deal

Health officials in Michigan and across the country are closely following a dangerous drug-resistant fungus.

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Candida auris which is also called C. auris is a Drug-resistant fungus that currently has the most confirmed cases in Texas with a total of 241 cases.

Michigan ranks second with 185 cases, just behind Texas.

Ohio, Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin have also all reported new cases this year

Read More: 25 Things Michigan Is Known And Famous For

CDC Consider Fungus Urgent Antimicrobial Resistance Threat

I don't know about you but that sounds really scary.

According to the CDC, Candida auris has developed ways to defeat the drugs that are designed to kill it.

When antifungal medications aren’t effective, the fungus can spread more easily and infections can be hard or even impossible to treat.

Candida auris has a mortality rate ranging from 30%-60%

People Most Vulnerable To Candida auris

Like many other deadly things the people that are most vulnerable to this fungus are those with a weaker immune system.

With this fungus in particular it's often spread in health care settings through things such as catheters, breathing tubes, feeding tubes and PICC lines.

Another thing that makes this fungus such a problem is that it can survive on many different surfaces including door knobs, counters, and on peoples skins.

Read More: Michigan Foods at Risk If Artificial Food Dyes Are Phased Out

There is no foolproof way to avoid being exposed to viruses and bacteria in life.

but a good plan to keep yourself and family as safe and healthy as possible is to wash your hands very well, stay away from anyone that might be infected, and properly clean and disinfect things that were possibly exposed.