The CDC released a report last week that found a fatal drug-resistant fungus has been linked to the death of four U.S. hospital patients, according to Kaiser Health News.
Here are five things to know:
1. Researchers first identified the fungus, Candida auris, in Japan in 2009, with the fungus since spreading throughout the globe into Europe, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and South America.
2. Since May 2013, the CDC has detected 13 patients with the fungus, with the first seven cases occurring in New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Maryland.
3. Of the reported cases, every patient had a serious underlying condition. At this point in time, providers cannot verify if the patients died from the fungus or their underlying health conditions.
4. Patients with underlying medical conditions are on antibiotics, making them at a higher risk of acquiring the fungus. Therefore, hospitals should be on high alert, experts say.
5. Tom Chiller, chief of the CDC's mycotic disease branch, said the agency is working hard with other organizations to increase their knowledge base about the fungus and how it spreads.
