Fungus News

New health malady hits Dallas, this time a fungus invading hospitals

It's an invasive yeast that is currently considered untreatable.

Courtesy photo

A new kind of malady has landed in Texas, this time a fungus: According to a release from Collin County Health Care Services, a yeast called candida auris fungus is spreading in two Dallas-area healthcare facilities.

Candida auris causes invasive infections and can be transmitted in healthcare settings. It started to show up in January 2021 and is currently considered untreatable.

Some are calling it a "superbug," because infections have been resistant to anti-fungal medications. Two Collin County area healthcare facilities have seen cases of drug-resistant variants of Candida auris that resulted in four deaths.

Dallas is one of two areas where the fungus is emerging, along with Washington DC, where a longterm care facility for severely ill patients was hit by an outbreak that infected more than 100 people and killed one.

From January to April, 22 cases were reported in Texas, at two acute care hospitals, one long-term and one short-term. Health advisories were sent to hospitals and healthcare facilities in early 2021 as cases were identified.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can spread through patient contact or on contaminated surfaces and is most deadly when it enters the bloodstream, heart, or brain.

It's considered dangerous to hospital and nursing home patients with serious medical problems. However, the general public is not currently at risk, and the CDC is working on controlling its spread.

health

Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

dance clubs fun cities nightlife parties recreation wallethub