Fungus which kills half of infected hospital patients is 'becoming drug resistant'
By Louise BoyleA deadly fungus which is a major cause of infection on hospital wards is becoming resistant to drugs, according to doctors.
Candida albicans is normally associated with mild infections of the genitals or mouth but can be fatal when caught by someone who has a serious illness or is recovering from surgery.
One in four blood infections picked up in hospitals come from it and around half of these patients die.
Risks: Patients who have a weakened immune system from surgery are at greater risk of contracting fungal infections
Dr Carol Munro, from Aberdeen University, told a conference of the Society for General Microbiology that if the drugs used to treat the infection did not kill the fungus immediately, there was a risk it could adapt its cells and spread.
At the moment, the way drugs tackle C. albicans is to prevent sugars being produced that help the infection to grow.
More research is now taking place to develop stronger medicines to combat it.
Scientists used powerful X-rays at a facility in Oxfordshire to probe its structure. They were able to spot how it used proteins to attach itself to human tissues.
'What I find most concerning is the fact that we don't seem to have an effective way to control the most severe cases of these infections, which can kill half of those affected.
'Our work allows us to understand the details involved and provide vital clues to develop new drugs and clinical applications.'
The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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