Deadly And Drug-Resistant Infection Spreading Rapidly In Michigan

The Spring season in Michigan means more residents suffering from allergy-related illnesses, which can easily be treated with several over-the-counter medications. However, health officials urgently warn that a potentially deadly infection is spreading rapidly in the Great Lakes State and is almost impossible to treat.

Deadly And Drug-Resistant Infection Spreading Rapidly In Michigan

According to Michigan health officials, residents have recently been treated for illnesses due to seasonal changes and viruses going around schools, such as the common cold, strep throat, and allergy flare-ups. While these illnesses are common in the Spring, Michigan is now among the top states in the nation where cases of one highly contagious infection continue to rise.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,000 cases of Candida auris have been confirmed across the U.S. this year, with Michigan seeing an extremely high number of cases. The fungus is a form of yeast that is usually not harmful to healthy people but can be a deadly risk to fragile hospital and nursing home patients. It spreads easily and can infect wounds, ears, and the bloodstream.

The CDC has considered the fungus “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat” because it has developed ways to defeat the drugs 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.

The fungus can survive on surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, or even people’s skin before spreading to vulnerable patients.

The CDC reports that limited data has shown 30-60% of people with such infections have died, though many of those individuals also had other illnesses that increased their risk of death.