Health: The worrying spread of a resistant fungus in European hospitals

A drug-resistant fungus is spreading at an alarming rate in European hospitals, threatening vulnerable patients and putting pressure on healthcare systems.

The germ is responsible for hospital-acquired fungal infections that can be fatal in the most vulnerable, according to the latest survey by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which calls for urgent action in the face of this growing threat.

4,000 cases in 10 years

Candidozyma auris was first identified in 2009. It has since spread to many countries, including France. It is considered a critical priority pathogen by the World Health Organization.

It has the ability to persist on various surfaces and medical equipment and to spread between patients, making it particularly difficult to control.

Between 2013 and 2023, EU/EEA countries reported more than 4,000 cases. But it's the recent acceleration that particularly worries experts, with 1,346 cases reported by 18 countries in 2023 alone.

Five European countries – Spain, Greece, Italy, Romania and Germany – account for the majority of cases detected over the last decade.

Despite this increase, only 17 of the 36 countries participating in the survey currently have a national surveillance system for C. auris . "Without systematic surveillance and mandatory reporting, the true extent of the problem is likely to be underestimated," warns the ECDC.

Despite this worrying picture, experts emphasize that effective action is still possible. "This is not inevitable," they say. "Early detection and rapid, coordinated infection control can still prevent wider transmission."