A “mysterious and dangerous” fungal infection has emerged, and experts are warning that it is a serious global health threat.

一种“神秘且危险”的真菌感染已经浮出水面，医学专家警告说，这种新病菌正在全球范围内构成健康威胁。

The germ, a fungus called Candida auris, preys on people with weakened immune systems, and it is quietly spreading across the globe. Over the last five years, it has hit a neonatal unit in Venezuela, swept through a hospital in Spain, forced a prestigious British medical center to shut down its intensive care unit, and taken root in India, Pakistan and South Africa.

这种叫做“耳念珠菌”的真菌针对免疫力低下的群体下手，传染范围已经遍布全球。在过去的五年中，委内瑞拉的一个新生儿病房、西班牙的一所医院、英国一家著名医学中心的ICU监护室都相继“中招”。此外，印度、巴基斯坦、南非等国也有病例报道。

Recently the “super fungus” reached New York, New Jersey and Illinois, leading America’s CDC to add it to a list of germs deemed “urgent threats.” This fungal infection is extremely difficult to kill. For example, last year an elderly man died from this fungus revealed more horrifying facts.

而近日，被称为“超级真菌”的耳念珠菌在美国的新泽西、伊利诺伊和纽约州等地开始肆虐，致使美国疾病预防控制中心将其列为“紧急威胁”的病原体名单。这种真菌极难杀灭，去年就有一位老年人因为感染了真菌而死亡。

According to the medical experts, the fungus survived months later after the tragic death of the elderly man. Tests showed it was everywhere in his room, so invasive that the hospital needed special cleaning equipment and had to rip out some of the ceiling and floor tiles to eradicate it.

医学专家称，在该名病人去世后的数月，耳念珠菌仍然存活着。检测结果显示，病原体异常顽强，遍布患者居住过的房间，几乎无处不在。医务人员必须用专门的消毒工具进行消毒，甚至还要移除部分天花板和地板才能将其赶尽杀绝。

Then why it’s so powerful?

那么为什么它如此顽强？

Answer: Overuse of antibiotics appears to be making the fungus stronger.

答案：抗生素的滥用致使病菌的抗药性增强。

Just as antibiotic overuse has contributed to the rise of resistant bacteria, overuse of antimicrobial drugs is helping fungi becoming resistant. Scientists say that unless more effective new medicines are developed and unnecessary use of antimicrobial drugs is sharply curbed, risk will spread to healthier populations.

就像抗生素的滥用导致细菌感染越来越难以被控制，真菌感染也同样如此。科学家认为，除了研发更加有效的药物，社会还需要对抗生素的滥用加以更严格的控制，而更多健康人群面临感染风险。

While antifungals are life-saving drugs, they are also applied to prevent agricultural plants from rotting. There is evidence that suggests the rampant use of fungicides on crops is contributing to the surge in drug-resistant fungi infecting humans.

此外，抗真菌药物尽管药效仍然较好，也被用于防止农作物腐烂。目前有证据显示，杀真菌剂在农业中的过度使用也导致真菌的耐药性不断增强，并导致具有抗药性的真菌感染人类病例急剧增多。

Unfortunately, till now scientists are still unclear about the origin and effective medication of the super fungus. But one thing is for sure: it’s time to stop misusing antibiotics.

遗憾的是，直到今天科学家仍然没能搞清耳念珠菌的来源，也没有有效的治疗手段应对“超级真菌”。但有一点毫无疑问的是：我们亟待停止抗生素的滥用。

VOCABULARY

fungal: adj. 真菌的；与真菌有关的

neonatal: adj. 新生的

curb: v. 抑制；制止

rampant: adj. 猖獗的