The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network) in all 50 states back in 2016. It was designed to help detect new forms of drug resistance from germs like bacteria and fungi that develop the ability to defeat the drugs that were designed to kill them.

Drug resistance has become a growing concern, especially in healthcare environments, in recent years. More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year and more than 35,000 people die as a result according to the CDC's 2019 Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Threats Report.

When the AR Lab Network was announced, CDC specifically mentioned Candida auris. The agency reported that this fungus poses a unique challenge to public health because it can cause invasive and often deadly infections that can be resistant to multiple antifungal drugs. C. auris has been listed as a 'concerning drug-resistant fungus' by CDC because it is:

• Often multidrug-resistant, with some strains resistant to all three available classes of antifungals
  
• Can cause outbreaks in healthcare facilities
  
• Some common healthcare disinfectants are less effective at eliminating it
  
• Can be carried on patients' skin without causing infection, allowing spread to others
  

“Candida auris was first identified in 2009 in Asia and has quickly become a cause of severe infections around the world, including right here in North America,” said Frank Selamie, President of CTSI. “Infections from drug-resistant organisms, whether it be C. auris, C. diff, MRSA, or another superbug, can be difficult to treat, costly, and deadly. These are all reasons why surface cleaning, disinfection, air quality, and careful personal and occupational hygiene are so critical for high risk environments such as hospitals, daycare centers, nursing homes, and other locations where people with undeveloped, suppressed, or weakened immune systems can be found.”

With offices in New York and Florida, CTSI's professionals have extensive experience offering their infection control and risk assessment expertise to nursing home, long-term care and hospital administrators across the nation. Their services support infection control programs through testing, monitoring, and training services to help prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, fungi, and even viruses.

CTSI also recently sponsored an educational video about C. auris that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/JGpL7VmKezg
To learn more about infection control and risk assessment services for the healthcare industry, please visit www.ctsiweb.com, email contactus@ctsiweb.com , or call (212) 971-7016.

About CTSI
Established in 1992, Consulting & Testing Services, Inc. (CTSI) was founded on one strong commitment: to provide efficient and expert services to clients based on professionalism, innovation, and cost-effective expert solutions. This commitment has been furthered with CTSI's reputation in fostering client relationships in all sectors of the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Construction industries. CTSI prides itself in utilizing a high quality service based on its diverse team of staff and professionals' concise recommendations and solutions to the most pressing dilemmas. The company operates offices in New York and Florida that service clients across the United States.

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