About this episode:

The discovery of a new clade of C. auris—a fungus the WHO has declared a "critical pathogen"—has ignited new fears about the fungi's ability to evolve beyond infection control measures. C. auris already poses significant—and lethal—risks to hospitals and patients worldwide and, with global warming, medicine should expect more emerging fungal infections that are resistant to existing treatments. In today's episode: C. auris's evolution, the climate change factor, and what's needed to prevent infections before treatment options fail.

Guest:

Arturo Casadevall is chair of the department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a global expert in host defense mechanisms, fungi, and antibody-based therapies. He is also co-author of the book What If Fungi Win? with Stephanie Desmon.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is also co-author of the book What If Fungi Win? with Dr. Casadevall.

Show links and related content:

• Worsening Spread of Candida auris in the United States, 2019-2021—Annals of Internal Medicine

• What If Fungi Win? (book)—Johns Hopkins Press

• Candida auris: A Yeast to Fear—Public Health On Call Podcast (archive)

• The Rise of Invasive Fungi—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine

• Why Fungal Diseases Are An Increasing Threat–Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine

• On the Emergence of Candida auris: Climate Change, Azoles, Swamps, and Birds—mBio

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