Sanford infectious disease specialist says antibiotic resistant fungus shouldn't cause a panic

FARGO — Minnesota has seen cases of a potentially deadly fungus, but an expert with Sanford Health says there's little reason to panic.

Candida Auris can cause serious illness including bloodstream and respiratory infections.

Sanford Infectious Disease specialist Dr. Avish Nagpal said it is resistant to antibiotics and that the fungus mostly shows up in places where antibiotics have been heavily used over an extended period of time.

"Infections that spread when you have long-term medical issues that require longer hospitalizations or nursing home stays," Nagpal said.

According to Nagpal, it's more common in countries where antibiotics can be bought over the counter, and is spreading as a result.

"They struggle a lot with antibiotic resistance, and now with travel tourism, these drug-resistant organisms can make their way anywhere in the world," Nagpal said.