Illinois health officials are urging the public to be on guard against an outbreak of Candida auris that has sickened more than 150 people in the state, most of them in the Chicago area, according to an article on the Chicago Tribune website.
Illinois has the second-highest number of cases of Candida auris in the nation, behind only New York. The disease was first found in Japan in 2009 and is now in more than 20 countries. It reached Illinois by 2016.
Candida auris has been the subject of repeated alerts from public health officials, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It can be spread in healthcare facilities through contact with contaminated people or surfaces.
Biofilm 'Life Raft' Changes C. Auris Risk
How Healthcare Restrooms Are Rethinking Water Efficiency
Northwell Health Finds Energy Savings in Steam Systems
The Difference Between Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting
Jupiter Medical Center Falls Victim to Third-Party Data Breach