Drug-Resistant Candida Auris Fungus Reported in 23 States as U.S. Cases Rise

Nearly half of U.S. states have reported Candida auris infections this year, with Texas and Michigan recording the largest known case totals as health officials track the spread of the difficult-to-treat fungus.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

A potentially deadly, drug-resistant fungus has been confirmed in 23 states this year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Candida auris, commonly known as C. auris, can resist medications routinely used to treat fungal infections, leading health officials to classify it as an emerging “superbug.”

The fungus was first identified in the United States in 2016 and has spread rapidly in subsequent years, The Hill reported.

Healthy people can often carry or encounter the fungus without developing a serious infection because their immune systems are capable of controlling it. The greatest danger is generally concentrated in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities where patients may have weakened immune systems, serious underlying illnesses or invasive medical devices.

C. auris can remain on surfaces for extended periods, making it difficult to eliminate from rooms and medical equipment. It can then spread to vulnerable patients through catheters, intravenous lines, breathing tubes and other devices that enter the body.

Once an invasive infection develops, treatment can be complicated because some strains do not respond to one or more major classes of antifungal medication. That resistance can limit available treatment options and increase the risk of severe illness or death among medically fragile patients.

Cases have been reported to the CDC by 23 states so far this year.

Texas had recorded more than 700 known cases by mid-July, the largest total reported in the country. Michigan ranked second with 503 cases.

The latest figures show that C. auris continues to expand geographically a decade after its first confirmed U.S. appearance, while its ability to persist in health care environments and resist standard treatments remains a significant concern for infection-control officials.