Overview
- A new European health survey reports accelerating transmission in hospitals, with several countries now experiencing ongoing local spread.
- Invasive infections carry a 30%–60% mortality risk in severely ill patients, and some strains resist nearly all available antifungal drugs.
- The organism is frequently misidentified by routine tests, can be carried on skin without symptoms, and endures on surfaces through adhesins and biofilms that weaken disinfection.
- Surveillance logged more than 4,000 European cases from 2013–2023, including 1,300 in 2023, while the UK recorded 134 cases from November 2024 to April 2025, a 23% rise over the previous six months.
- ECDC calls for stronger surveillance, WHO lists the pathogen as a priority threat, and UK guidance details hospital controls, with experts stressing rapid, rigorous action to contain early outbreaks.