Calls For Health Emergency As Dangerous NJ 'Superbug' Cases Rise

A top US lawmaker wants a public health emergency declared now that cases of a potentially dangerous, drug-resistant fungus infection – known as the "Superbug" – have risen in New Jersey and elsewhere.

US Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, wants the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare an emergency that would free up millions of dollars to fight the disease's spread.

Schumer made the call as the CDC reported that New Jersey's total number of "Candida auris" cases rose from 101 a month ago to 106 now. There are also 22 probable cases.

The state trails only New York, which has had 319 confirmed cases, and Illinois, which has had 156. The CDC says there have been 613 confirmed cases across the country, up from 587 a month ago.

"We are here today to urge the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control, to deliver a whole bunch of resources that can help New York and other states kill this bug and stop its spread," Schumer said during a Sunday press conference.

Efforts to obtain comment from the CDC were not immediately successful.

Schumer said an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars is needed to help identifiy the threat and diagnose additional cases; tackle it through preventative efforts such as education; and treating it without relying on antibiotics, since the disease has shown to be resistant to them.

Schumer said there is money in the federal budget to deal with the disease that could only be freed if an emergency is declared. It wouldn't be the first time the US government has had to take such a step, he said.

Schumer noted that $165 million was allocated toward dealing with the Ebola virus several years ago.

"With somehting as deadly as Candida auris, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," he said.

The number of people stricken by the fungus quadrupled in New Jersey over the past year, presenting what the CDC has called "a serious global health threat."

The cases of the serious and sometimes fatal fungal infection, which is emerging globally, have been identified in New Jersey and 11 other states across America, according to the CDC.

This yeast is difficult to identity and often does not respond to commonly used anti-fungal drugs, leading to high mortality, according to Rutgers University officials.

Based on information from a limited number of patients, the CDC says, 30–60 percent of people with C. auris infections have died. However, many of these people had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death.

"Most C. auris cases in the United States have been detected in the New York City area, New Jersey, and the Chicago area," according to the CDC.

Indeed, the disease has presented itself as enough of a threat that the CDC awarded Rutgers University a $300,000 contract over two years to fight the infection's spread as part of the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative.

“It’s acting like a superbug," Paige Armstrong, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, has said. "Without appropriate infection control and really a rigorous response, [it] could lead to even more cases in the United States.”

The disease's presence in New Jersey first became public in 2016 when the CDC warned that two people in New Jersey and at least 7 people nationwide were stricken.

At the time, four of the patients – including one in New Jersey – died, although it is unclear whether all the deaths were associated with C. auris infection or underlying health conditions.

The New Jersey patient died in July 2015 after suffering from a brain tumor, according to the CDC. The agency did not say where the New Jersey cases took place.

Candida grows as yeast, and symptoms include difficulty swallowing, burning, genital itching and sometimes a cheese-like discharge that looks white, according to the CDC.

In 2009, C. auris was first described in a patient in Japan. There is documented transmission of C. auris to US patients from healthcare facilities in India, Pakistan, South Africa and Venezuela, according to the CDC.

Fungal infections often cause serious disease among patients with compromised immune systems or other debilitating conditions resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Globally, nearly 1.4 million deaths a year are attributed to invasive fungal infections, which is on par with deadly diseases like tuberculosis, according to the CDC.

Here are ways to avoid contracting the disease:

• One of the best ways to prevent the spread of dangerous germs like C. auris in healthcare settings is good hand hygiene. Washing hands frequently can help prevent its spread.
• Early and accurate identification, rigorous infection control practices, and communication between facilities are key to reducing the spread in healthcare settings.
• Proper infection control involves consistent handwashing, use of personal protective equipment and cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment and the healthcare environment.
• When patients are transferred to other healthcare facilities, the receiving facilities should be notified of C. auris infection and the level of precautions recommended.