Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Health authorities are warning that a fungus resistant to drugs is spreading rapidly across European hospitals, and they are urging further efforts to contain it, according to a report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Candida auris, or C. auris, a type of fungus, easily spreads in healthcare environments and can often resist treatments designed to kill it. A recent report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) notes that infections can be severe – especially in patients who are in poor health.
The ECDC cites that multiple countries in the European Union (and in the surrounding region) had more than 4,000 cases reported from 2013 to 2023, with a staggering increase in cases over that time period.
Spain, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Germany have the most cases overall (more than 1,000). Cyprus, France, and Germany have had recent outbreaks of over 50 cases. The fungus, then termed Candida auris, was identified in 18 different countries in a 2023 outbreak.
How dangerous is Candida auris for hospitalised patients?
According to Diamantis Plachouras, head of the ECDC’s antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections team, in some areas of Europe, C. auris has become so widespread that it’s no longer possible to distinguish between outbreaks. Instead, it’s nearly endemic in hospital settings.
Out of the 36 European countries in the new report, only 17 have national surveillance programmes for C. auris, and just 15 have specific guidelines to prevent or control infections.
According to the ECDC, the fungus’s capacity to survive on surfaces and medical equipment, and to spread rapidly between patients, poses a significant challenge to control. Not all commonly used hospital disinfectants are effective against it, so regular cleaning alone is not enough to stop its spread, Plachouras added.
What symptoms are linked to Candida auris infections in patients?
Although people infected with C. auris may experience a fever and chills, the condition doesn’t have a typical set of symptoms. These can vary depending on whether the infection is in the bloodstream, a wound, or the ears. Plachouras stated that lab testing is necessary to identify outbreaks.
How does international hospitalisation contribute to c. auris spread?
C. auris was first identified in Japan in 2009. Once it’s been discovered in a country for the first time, it only takes a few years for it to become widespread, Plachouras said. Plachouras said the fungus usually appears when a patient has first been hospitalised in another country where C. auris is present, and then brings it into the new country.
The ECDC has urged countries and health systems to strengthen their early detection and control efforts to curb the spread of the fungus.
How did past outbreaks shape Europe’s public health responses?
Historic outbreaks of infectious disease have affected Europe at various points in its past, changing history and public health response, like the recent Mpox (monkeypox) outbreak. There are reported ongoing cases in 29 EU/EEA countries with a slow decline in the overall number of cases since late 2024. As of January 2025, there were over 23,000 confirmed cases reported; there is sustained heightened vigilance and ongoing vaccination.
