SGH has revealed that at least three people in Singapore had been infected with Candida auris, a deadly drug-resistant fungus tha has been spreading worldwide. In the Singapore cases, one patient has since recovered from the infection, one left Singapore against medical advice, and another has since died.
Dr Ling Moi Lin, director of infection prevention and epidemiology at SGH, said all three patients were isolated immediately after they were found to be infected. Contract tracing for those who have been in contact with the infected were also done thoroughly, and the doctor confirmed that they have no reason to suspect an outbreak of the virus happened in Singapore. The virus is only spread through direct contact with the infected person, and not via airborne transmission.
According to SGH, the first SG patient probably got infected when she was treated for an accident in India, while the second case was of a Bangladeshi man who came to SG for treatment. But the man returned to Bangladesh after 10 days of treatment here against medical advice. The last case involved an elderly American man who contacted the virus while touring Bangladesh. He was transferred to SGH for further treatment, but subsequently passed away due to other complications resulting from the virus and his own health issues.
