Healthcare facilities across the country are being plagued by a fast-spreading fungus called Candida auris (C. auris). The "increasing threat" can trigger "a range of infections," from skin conditions to "life-threatening" infections in the bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Candida auris, whose symptoms include fever and chills, is also drug-resistant—meaning, it’s nearly impossible to treat and therefore continues to spread.
"The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control," said CDC epidemiologist Meghan Lyman, MD, in 2023.
There was a surge of C. auris cases in 2022 and 2023, and now health experts are warning the public to stay vigilant. Here’s everything you need to know about the "antimicrobial resistance threat."
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38 states have detected the presence of Candida auris.
As of 2023, a total of 38 states have confirmed cases of Candida auris. Only five states have surpassed 1,000 cases: California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Nevada. But on a more positive note, more than half the states on this list have reported fewer than 50 clinical cases of Candida auris since it was first detected in the U.S. in 2016. The Hill made a comprehensive list highlighting the total number of cases per state from 2016 to 2023. (The CDC hasn’t shared data for 2024 or 2025 thus far.)
- Alabama (19)
- Arkansas (10)
- Arizona (179)
- California (1,566)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut (8)
- Delaware (30)
- Florida (1,485)
- Georgia (219)
- Hawaii (1)
- Iowa (6)
- Illinois (1,627)
- Indiana (304)
- Kentucky (48)
- Louisiana (38)
- Massachusetts (23)
- Maryland (203)
- Michigan (149)
- Minnesota (8)
- Missouri (4)
- Mississippi (41)
- North Carolina (20)
- Nebraska (2)
- New Jersey (491)
- New Mexico (1)
- Nevada (1,008)
- New York (1,795)
- Ohio (274)
- Oklahoma (10)
- Oregon (4)
- Pennsylvania (44)
- South Carolina (8)
- Tennessee (107)
- Texas (750)
- Utah (1)
- Virginia (151)
- Wisconsin (12)
- West Virginia (4)
The states left off this list, reporting no cases thus far, are Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming.
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How does Candida auris spread?
Unlike the flu or COVID-19, Candida auris is not an airborne illness. According to the CDC, those working or visiting health centers are most at risk of contracting the disease, which primarily spreads through catheters, breathing tubes, feeding tubes, and other similar medical equipment.
"It’s really good at just being, generally speaking, in the environment," Melissa Nolan, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, told Nexstar. "So if you have it on a patient’s bed for example, on the railing, and you go to wipe everything down, if in whatever way maybe a couple of pathogens didn’t get cleared, then they’re becoming resistant. And so over time, they can kind of grow and populate in that hospital environment."
People who are immunocompromised and patients "requiring complex medical care" are considered risk factors. "Healthy people, those who are not hospitalized or severely ill, generally do not get C. auris," according to the CDC.
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Is Candida auris treatable?
The simple answer is no, Candida auris isn’t treatable. "If you get infected with this pathogen that’s resistant to any treatment, there’s no treatment we can give you to help combat it. You’re all on your own," said Nolan.
However, the CDC says some strains of C. auris can be treated with a type of antifungal medication called echinocandins, which requires a doctor prescription. In some cases, though, the pathogen is resistant to all types of medication.
Previously, the CDC said that based on limited information, "30 to 60 percent" of patients diagnosed with C. auris infections died. However, it’s unclear whether C. auris was the cause of death as many "had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death."
