Quebec - Candida auris fungus detected in two people at Pierre-Boucher Hospital in Longueuil

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Dangerous Candida auris fungus detected at Pierre-Boucher Hospital, health officials say

Two cases of patients carrying the fungus have been identified at the Longueuil hospital since Sept. 8. They and their close contacts have been placed in isolation.

The Canadian Press
Ugo Giguère
Publishing date:Sep 22, 2022 • 17 hours ago •

A dangerous fungus known for its resistance to treatment was detected earlier this month at Pierre-Boucher Hospital in Longueuil, health authorities said Thursday.

Since Sept. 8, officials have identified two cases involving patients carrying Candida auris at the hospital. Neither of them, however, have developed a dangerous yeast infection tied to the fungus. Officials said one of the patients — and their close contacts — was placed in isolation.

Regional health spokeswoman Caroline Doucet says the hospital has instructed certain staff to wear personal protective equipment, to wash their hands frequently and to employ other disinfection measures. All patients who have been in close contact with the two cases have been tested, and the hospital remains safe for users, the health agency said Thursday.
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https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/dangerous-candida-auris-fungus-detected-at-pierre-boucher-hospital-health-officials-say

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Translation Google

Information regarding the Candida auris outbreak at Pierre-Boucher Hospital


CISSS of Montérégie-East

September 22, 2022

NOTICE TO THE PIERRE-BOUCHER HOSPITAL CLIENTELE: ALL APPOINTMENTS ARE MAINTAINED, INCLUDING THOSE IN SURGERY.

Since the first suspected case of Candida auris on September 8 at Pierre-Boucher Hospital, all precautionary measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of employees and customers. Currently, only one patient is a carrier of Candida auris. The situation is under control and the hospital remains a safe place for all . The measures to be respected are followed in order to ensure the safety of both employees and customers.

TO KNOW ABOUT CANDIDA AURIS : Candida auris is a yeast of medical interest that has demonstrated its ability to be transmitted in healthcare settings through direct contact with the patient and indirect contact with the environment. If a patient develops a Candida auris infection , it may be more difficult to treat given resistance to some antifungals.

Hand hygiene and good disinfection of the equipment used remain the best protection and no other additional measures are necessary for the moment for the units that are not affected by the outbreak. The guidelines are similar to cases of MRSA or VRE, with the addition of chlorine disinfection of surfaces (contact +). No employee screening is required.

TIMELINE OF THE SITUATION

• September 8: The person suspected of carrying Candida auris was placed in isolation, along with all close contacts, at the Pierre-Boucher Hospital. The additional precautionary measures have been communicated to the employees concerned. Ongoing follow-up and additional information was passed on to targeted personnel about Candida auris .
• September 15: Upon confirmation from the Public Health Laboratory that it was Candida auris and the suspicion of another case, a suspected outbreak notice was therefore issued, and all affected teams were informed of all the measures to follow and respect.
• September 20: An outbreak statement from the affected unit was circulated to everyone as usual, as soon as a second case was confirmed.
• Currently, three users who have had close contacts are under investigation, no other cases have been confirmed at this time.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services, the INSPQ and all the authorities concerned have been informed that the situation is under control for the moment.

https://www.santemonteregie.qc.ca/est/nouvelles/information-concernant-leclosion-au-candida-auris-lhopital-pierre-boucher

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The Public Health Department of Montérégie wishes to reassure the population about Candida auris


CISSS of Montérégie-East

September 23, 2022

Longueuil, September 22, 2022 – The Public Health Department of Montérégie would like to reassure the population about Candida auris , discovered in two patients at the Pierre-Boucher Hospital in Longueuil. The hospital remains a safe place of care for employees and clients. The population should not hesitate to go there if their state of health requires it or if they have to deal with it.

The Candida auris outbreak is well contained in the hospital and the required infection prevention and control measures are in place. These are substantially the measures already known to hospital staff and put in place for other types of mushroom -like outbreaks .

Moreover, all of the hospital's activities are continuing; appointments are maintained and people who have to undergo surgery can have surgery as scheduled.

The Public Health Department is working in collaboration with the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est to carry out the epidemiological investigation related to this situation. "I invite people who have recently visited the Pierre-Boucher Hospital, for various reasons, not to worry," says Dr. Julie Loslier, Director of Public Health for the Montérégie. Only people who were present on the unit where the C.auris was found have been or will be contacted by our team.”

Candida auris is a fungus of medical interest which has demonstrated its ability to be transmitted in healthcare settings. It is transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces or by direct contact between two people. Hand hygiene remains the best protection.

https://www.santemonteregie.qc.ca/est/nouvelles/la-direction-de-sante-publique-de-la-monteregie-souhaite-rassurer-la-population-sur

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Translation Google

First outbreak in Quebec of a deadly super-fungus
...
Thomas Gerbet
Posted yesterday at 2:01 a.m.

A national crisis unit is mobilized and an investigation is underway at the Pierre-Boucher Hospital in Longueuil, where the "killer fungus" has spread, Radio-Canada has learned. This is the first time an outbreak of Candida auris has occurred in Quebec.

Most Hospital employees are unaware that this intruder is present in their facility. According to a public health source, authorities asked those informed to exercise discretion.

Candida auris attacks hospitalized patients, mainly those with weakened immune systems or those undergoing surgery or intravenous treatment. An infected person has a 30 to 60% chance of dying.

Outbreak timeline

As early as September 8, the presence of the deadly fungus was suspected in the armpits of a 65-year-old patient treated for pneumonia in Pierre-Boucher. The positive case was formalized on September 15 by the Public Health Laboratory of Quebec.

Then, on September 19, a second case was confirmed. It was another occupant of the same room. He died the next day in intensive care from another cause.

What worries the health authorities is that neither of the two patients was returning from abroad. An outbreak declaration was issued on Tuesday to the relevant health personnel.

The CISSSde la Montérégie-Est informed Radio-Canada that three other users of the hospital who had close contacts are under investigation. However, according to our sources, dozens of patients would have been screened, on several units, because they would have had direct or indirect contact with the positive cases.

It worries me a lot , said a member of the medical staff of the establishment, informed of the situation, who is not authorized to speak about it.

“ We knew that eventually Candida auris was going to come to Quebec, it was a matter of time when we look at what is happening in the United States. I'm just surprised it's in Quebec so quickly. »
— A quote from a member of the medical profession informed of the situation at Pierre-Boucher Hospital

The super-yeast is of growing concern to US health authorities. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) have again issued a warning.

In addition to being difficult to detect, Candida auris is resistant to antifungal treatments. The problem has become endemic in the United States, where more and more cases are being detected in hospitals.

It is difficult to get rid of the fungus on surfaces, up to several weeks. In 2019, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, sections of the walls and ceiling had to be removed and replaced to successfully eradicate the fungus from the contaminated walls.

An article from the New York Times(New window)reported that everything was positive for C. auris around infected patients: telephones, doors, handles, mattresses, windows, etc.

Increased precaution in Pierre-Boucher and in another hospital

The CISSSof Montérégie-Est ensures that additional precautionary measures were put in place as of September 8, with suspected cases and close contacts , who have been isolated.

From September 15, when an outbreak was suspected, measures were added such as wearing masks, gowns and gloves, as well as the use of chlorine products to disinfect surfaces.

“ Since September 8, the care teams concerned have been kept informed of the measures to be applied [...] Additional information on Candida auris was transmitted to the personnel concerned on September 13. »

— A quote from Caroline Doucet, spokesperson for the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est

According to our sources, the Anna-Laberge Hospital in Châteauguay is also the subject of increased surveillance, because the first positive patient spent a day there this summer.

The National Institute of Public Health of Quebec ( INSPQ )) is mobilized in this file, alongside the Ministry of Health and Social Services. According to the INSPQ, Quebec had known only three isolated cases of Candida auris in the past , all patients returning from abroad (Africa and the United States).

It is therefore the first time that Quebecers have been infected without having stayed outside the country.

Only one outbreak had been reported in Canada before, in British Columbia, for a total of 37 cases in the country since 2012, including the latest in Longueuil. These are mainly people returning from medical tourism trips abroad .
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https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1917180/candida-auris-champignon-quebec-hopital-pierre-boucher?depuisRecherche=true

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Candida auris : no other infected patient at Pierre-Boucher Hospital

Radio Canada
Posted at 10:05 a.m.

After the discovery of two patients infected with the Candida auris fungus at Pierre-Boucher Hospital in Longueuil, the CISSS de la Montérégie-Est confirmed to us that the other patients who were "under investigation" all received negative results for screening tests.

The opening of a national crisis unit following the discovery of this fungus at the Longueuil hospital center, revealed Thursday by Radio-Canada , has created concern among both patients and hospital staff. , the majority of which were unaware of the presence of Candida auris in their establishment.

The Candida auris fungus attacks hospitalized patients, primarily those with weakened immune systems and those undergoing surgery or intravenous therapy. An infected person has a 30 to 60% chance of dying.

In a press release published Friday, the CIUSSS de la Montérégie-Centre assured that the outbreak of Candida auris is well circumscribed in the hospital and the required infection prevention and control measures are applied there .

“ The hospital remains a safe place of care for employees and clients. The population should not hesitate to go there if their state of health requires it or if they have to deal with it. »

— A quote from Excerpt from the press release from the Montérégie-Centre Integrated Health and Social Services Center

All hospital activities continue; appointments are maintained and people who have to undergo surgery can have surgery as planned , continues the management of the CIUSSS.

As for the people who recently went to the Pierre-Boucher Hospital, Dr. Julie Loslier, Director of Public Health for the Montérégie, wanted to reassure them and explained that only the people who were present on the unit where the C. auris was found have been or will be contacted by our team.

The CIUSSS recalls that Candida auris is transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces or by direct contact between two people.

Hand hygiene remains the best protection.

With information from Thomas Gerbet

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1918126/candida-auris-pierre-boucher-patients-negatifs