As the entire world is trying to combat the coronavirus outbreak, scientists have found traces of a superbug on remote sandy beaches of India. Researchers revealed that this superbug is basically a multi-drug resistant organism, and it could lead to the next deadly pandemic.
More details about the superbug
Scientists revealed that the newly discovered superbug is Candida auris, and it is considered a superbug as it is resistant to almost all anti-fungal treatments.
The study was carried out by a team of researchers led by Dr Anuradha Chowdhary from the University of Delhi. During the study, researchers studied 48 samples of soil and water collected from eight different sites of the Andaman islands.
Researchers detected traces of Candida auris from two different locations; a salt marsh wetland where no human interference is there, and another beach where humans regularly visit.
Will India emerge as a pandemic hotbed?
Even though researchers have detected traces of Candida auris from Andaman islands, which is a part of the Indian territory, experts are still unclear whether this superbug had its natural origin in India. Some experts believe that the superbug could have been introduced by people, particularly at the beach site that had more human activity.
"The isolates found in the area where there was human activity were more related to strains we see in the clinical setting. It might be coming from plants, or might be shed from human skin, which we know C. auris can colonize. We need to explore more environmental niches for the pathogen," said Dr Chowdhary, The Sun reports.
Symptoms of Candida auris infection
In the initial moments of the infection, the patient will show no symptoms, and soon the patient will start developing fever and chills. According to medical experts, these symptoms will not go away and could finally result in the death of the patient.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified Candida auris infection as an emerging global health threat. Scientists are pretty much concerned about this infection as it may cause outbreaks even in healthcare settings.
