June 26, 2025- An emerging fungus first reported in 2016 has risen to the level of “urgent threat” in healthcare facilities in less than a decade.
Candida auris is a yeast that can lead to serious infections, including bloodstream, wound, and ear infections, particularly in healthcare settings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Many strains of C. auris are resistant to common antifungal treatments, making infections harder to treat.
C. auris spreads easily between patients in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, especially on surfaces and medical equipment. People can have C. auris on their skin and other body sites without having symptoms, the CDC notes. Healthcare providers refer to this as ‘colonization.’ People who are colonized can spread C. auris onto surfaces and objects around them and to other patients.
Cases of C. auris have been on the rise in recent years. The CDC reported 4,514 new clinical cases in the United States in 2023, marking a continued increase since the first case was identified in 2016. The Los Angeles Times reported that during this same period, California reported 1,566 infections, more than any other state.
The CDC declared C. auris an “urgent threat” in a 2023 public safety announcement because of how resistant it is to many antifungal drugs, and how rapidly it can spread in healthcare settings.
It mainly affects individuals with severe underlying health conditions or those who use invasive medical devices, like catheters or feeding tubes. Healthy people are typically not at risk.
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