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4w ago

ECDC Warns of Rapid Spread of Drug-Resistant Hospital Yeast Across Europe

Health authorities urge tighter detection and infection controls to contain a surface‑persistent yeast that resists multiple treatments.

Der Hefepilz Candidozyma auris in einer Petrischale.
Der Hefepilz Candidozyma auris breitet sich auch in Deutschland weiter aus.
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Overview

  • The ECDC’s new report documents more than 4,000 Candidozyma auris cases in Europe from 2013 to 2023, including 1,346 in 2023 alone.
  • Germany recorded 120 cases over that period, with 77 reported in 2023, placing it fifth among EU countries behind Spain, Greece, Italy and Romania.
  • The pathogen spreads primarily through contact and contaminated surfaces or medical devices rather than via the air, complicating hospital containment.
  • Officials caution that limited surveillance means reported figures likely capture only a fraction of true cases and call for earlier detection and rapid response.
  • ECDC experts describe the trend as very concerning, though German specialists say the individual risk for most hospital patients there remains low.