Deadly fungus spreads in New York: list of hospitals where it was discovered

State regulators have unveiled a list of New York City medical facilities that have experience treating drug-resistant deadly fungus after nearly 600 cases of Candida auris have been confirmed in several states. This publication writes Lohud.

Most infections have been found in the New York area, as well as in New Jersey and Chicago, the source said citing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

U.S. health officials have called this fungus a serious threat to the health of people around the world.

Deadly Super Fungus

Candida auris is a deadly fungus that quickly spreads to hospitals around the world. It is especially dangerous for people with reduced immunity, it is difficult to diagnose and does not respond to treatment.

As noted in the CDC, the statistics are disappointing: one in three patients with invasive fungal infection has died.

To date, the list of New York medical facilities that have encountered Candida auris consists of 64 hospitals, 103 long-term care facilities, three hospices and one long-term emergency hospital. This list is included in the report on acquired infections in hospitals in the 2018 year, which was first reported by The New York Times.

What does this mean for New Yorkers?

Health officials in New York noted in the 2018 report that a wide range of factors are associated with the treatment and monitoring of fungal spread.

As a rule, the difficulty in determining where the infection is acquired is associated with patients who have many serious medical problems and often change medical facilities.

On the subject: Hospitals around the world attacked drug-resistant killer fungus

Officials focus on the fact that this list of institutions where fungus is treated should not be used by consumers to decide where to turn for help. The fact that the medical institution was included in this list is not related to the quality of medical care, the report said.

The list covers the period from 1 January 2016 year to 28 June 2019 year and includes institutions where they looked after a person infected with Candida auris.

According to the publication, earlier state and federal agencies hid the names of medical institutions that were faced with the treatment of this deadly fungus.

Why was this list published?

New York State Health officials said they published the list to provide transparency to consumers and encourage hospitals and nursing homes to help stop its spread, Times said.

Darren Dopp, senior vice president of the New York State Health Association, urged state health officials to include this list in the 2018 infection report of the year in an email.

“The medical community is working to counter this problem,” Dopp wrote. “Through collaborative efforts and the adoption of best practices, we are making progress, but as indicated in the report, Candida auris and other drug-resistant pathogens are a major concern.”

The New York Health Association noted that the city is a major tourist destination, which is why its health facilities are often the first to detect and respond to emerging infections, such as Candida auris.

She argued that New York’s healthcare facilities have unrivaled expertise in tackling the most complex public health problems, citing recent reports from the CDC and the Department of Health that show declines in infection rates for key indicators.

Listed medical facilities

In addition to New York and Long Island, several of the listed hospitals and nursing homes are located in Rockland and Westchester counties. Also, this hospital has one hospital from each of the districts - Monroe, Dutchess and Orange.

Hospitals:

In Westchester, this is St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, as well as the Westchester Medical Center in Valhall.

Rockland has the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, the Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstro and Montefiore Nyack Hospital.

Rochester General Hospital in Monroe, Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Dutchess County and Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown.

WMCHealth Medical Network has announced its collaboration with state officials to develop best practices to prevent the spread of C. auris.

“These measures were taken in 2017 and include, but are not limited to, immediate reporting of cases, strict isolation of contacts, a culture of observation and terminal cleaning,” WMCHealth said in an email.

Long-Term Care Facilities:

In Westchester - Adira at the Riverside Rehabilitation and Nursing in Yonkers, the Schaffer Extended Care Center in New Rochelle and the Tarrytown Hall Medical Care Center.

In Rockland - Friedwald Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in New City; Northern Manor Geriatric Center in Nanouet; Northern Riverview Health Care Center in Haverstro; Nyack Ridge Rehab & Nursing Center at Valley Cottage; Pine Valley Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Spring Valley.