Potentially fatal fungus discovered in Montreal-area hospital in first Quebec outbreak
Quebec’s health ministry has dispatched infection control teams to Pierre Boucher Hospital in Longueuil to combat the first-ever outbreak of a potentially deadly fungus in Quebec.
Candida auris is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness. It is particularly dangerous in health-care settings.
On Sept. 8, a patient who was suspected of carrying the fungus was placed in isolation at the hospital, as were all of their close contacts.
One week later, Quebec’s public health laboratory confirmed one diagnosis, the Monteregie-Est health authority told CTV News.
A second patient was also infected and three people who had direct contact with them remain under investigation.
The fungal infection is often benign, though hard to treat, in healthy people. However, it can be deadly for people in poor health, or who have weak immune systems.
Control measures are already in place for confirmed and suspected cases.
Those measures include "isolation of positive contacts, hand hygiene, masks, gowns, gloves, and the use of chlorinated products to disinfect equipment and frequently touched surfaces," according to health ministry spokesperson Marjorie Larouche.
Candida auris has been identified in only five patients in Quebec since 2012, including the most recent two discovered in Longueuil.
"These are all cases with probable acquisition outside the country, except for the last 2 recent cases for which an investigation is underway," said spokesperson Aurele Iberto-Mazzali, from Quebec’s Public Health Institute (INSPQ).
"QUITE PROBLEMATIC' IN HEALTH-CARE SETTINGS: DOCTOR
Candida auris has "a sort of perfect recipe of ingredients that allows it to be quite problematic," according to microbiologist Donald Vinh, who studies people with fungal infections.
"It has a tendency to be very sticky and attach to human skin," he said.
"If it’s on your skin at the time of interventions or procedures it can go into your body and cause infections."
That’s why it’s particularly dangerous when it spreads within a hospital or health care setting, usually through contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces.
Candida auris is more resistant to the antifungal medications used to treat other Candida fungi. It’s also not as common as its Candida cousins and so is harder to identify by microbiology labs, Dr. Vinh said.
The health ministry said it is actively involved in the investigation and containment efforts.
"Our infection control and public health teams are in close contact with the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est," said Larouche.
The outbreak is a serious concern, said Vinh, "but doesn’t mean, however, that the general public has to be concerned about Candida auris."
"It certainly means that people who work in the hospital should be vigilant with their infection control measures," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's 'most wanted terrorist' arrested on gun charges in Canada
One of India's most wanted terrorists has been arrested and charged in connection with a recent alleged shooting in Ontario.
12-year-old boy charged in stabbing of 11-year-old boy at Edmonton McDonald's
The boy stabbed at a north Edmonton McDonald's last Friday is 11 years old.
What makes walking so great for your health and what else you need to do
Medical experts agree that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. While it’s not the only sort of exercise people should do, it’s a great first step toward a healthy life.
U.S. Congress hosts second round of UFO hearings
The U.S. government held another UFO hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the second such hearing in 16 months. This hearing was billed as an attempt by congress to provide a better understanding of what is known about previous sightings of UFOs, also known as UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena).
Toronto teenager charged with first-degree murder in Kitchener, Ont. homicide
A Toronto teen has been charged as part of an investigation into Kitchener, Ont.’s first homicide of 2024.
Spy service officer denies threatening Montreal man who was later imprisoned in Sudan
A Canadian Security Intelligence Service official has denied threatening a Montreal man who was later imprisoned and allegedly tortured by authorities in Sudan.
Donald Trump picks Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said he will nominate Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, putting a loyalist in the role of the nation's top prosecutor.
This Canadian airline will adopt Apple's new AirTag feature to help recover lost baggage. Here's how
Apple announced that a new feature, 'Share Item Location,' will help users locate and recover misplaced items by sharing an AirTag location with third parties including airlines.
Canada bracing for 'tough' talks as Trump's pick calls northern border an 'extreme vulnerability'
The Canadian government is aware it's likely in for 'tough conversations' with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's administration, after his border czar said there is 'an extreme national security vulnerability' he intends to tackle at the Canada-U.S. border.