MSDH reports fungal infections across state

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The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has reported more than 50 instances of fungal infections, and nearly a dozen clinical cases in the state, with four cases possibly resulting in death.

This particular fungal infection is thought to be resistant to medication and exceedingly challenging to detect within the body. It has caused outbreaks in a few healthcare settings.

The Mississippi Department of Health is currently grappling with an outbreak of C. auris, a fungal infection that is resistant to medication and may have contributed to the deaths of four individuals, according to a department spokesperson, Liz Sharlot.

“Our investigation is constantly evolving,” Sharlot stated, reported by Mississippi Today. She further reported that the department has identified 12 clinical cases of the infection and four “potentially associated deaths.” These figures represent a doubling since State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers’ last update on the infections in January to the Board of Health.

C. auris remains uncommon in the United States. Individuals who are already ill due to other medical conditions are the most susceptible to invasive infections, such as in the blood, heart, or brain.

MSDH cautioned that the symptoms may not be apparent in the patient, and emphasized the ongoing investigation into the matter.