In just a decade, the drug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris (C. auris) has emerged as one of the most formidable threats to health care settings worldwide. Nowhere in the United States is this threat more pronounced than the New York-New Jersey (NY-NJ) metro area, which accounts for nearly 20 percent of the nation’s cases. A recent study published in Microbiology Spectrum by researchers at New York Medical College uncovered surprising connections between the initial spread of the pathogen, international travel, and local health care networks, adding an extra dimension to understanding how drug-resistant bugs spread around the globe.
“New York City is a major U.S. hub for international passengers, including those from South Asia, where the superbug C. auris is widely prevalent,” says Vishnu…