Drug-Resistant Candida auris Rapidly Spreading Through European Hospitals

Several fungal and parasitic diseases are increasingly posing health risks in the U.S. and Europe. The drug-resistant fungus Candida auris is rapidly spreading in European hospitals, primarily affecting severely ill patients, with a high mortality rate and difficulty in treatment due to drug resistance and challenges in detection and elimination. In the U.S., the parasitic disease Chagas, caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite transmitted by kissing bugs, is now considered endemic in the country, with evidence of local transmission and likely underreported cases. Valley fever, caused by the Coccidioides fungus, is expanding beyond its traditional Southwest range into cooler regions like California's Monterey County, with a record high of nearly 12,500 cases in 2024, and can cause severe pneumonia and complications especially in vulnerable populations. Additionally, summer patch, a fungal disease affecting cool-season turfgrasses, causes brown patches in lawns but is treatable and preventable. These developments highlight the growing challenges of emerging fungal and parasitic infections amid changing environmental and healthcare conditions.