The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring a concerning increase in cases of Candida auris (C. auris), a drug-resistant fungus that has now been detected in 27 states across the United States. According to data updated on July 25, the highly contagious yeast, often referred to as a 'superbug,' has led to more than 3,400 cases nationwide.
California reports the highest number of cases with 873, followed by Texas with 433 and Tennessee with 283. Other states have fewer than 100 cases each.
While the overall number of cases has risen annually, the CDC noted that the rate of increase has slowed since 2022. Between 2022 and 2024, the agency detected 13,507 cases of C. auris in hospitals. During this period, confirmed cases rose from 2,882 in 2022 to 4,428 in 2023, a 54 percent increase. From 2023 to 2024, cases climbed by 40 percent, from 4,428 to 6,197.
In addition to active infections, the CDC also recorded approximately 27,850 screening cases between 2022 and 2024. These are cases where patients tested positive for the fungus but did not exhibit symptoms of an active infection. Screening cases increased from 6,226 in 2022 to 9,195 in 2023 and 12,432 in 2024.
The World Health Organization has identified C. auris as one of the 19 fungi posing the greatest threat to public health, placing it in a critical priority group requiring immediate research for new treatments. Its resistance to common antifungal medications makes it difficult to treat and facilitates its spread within healthcare facilities, where patients often have weakened immune systems.
Symptoms of C. auris infection vary depending on the site of infection, such as the bloodstream, wounds, or ears, and can sometimes be mistaken for less severe illnesses like the flu. When C. auris enters the bloodstream, it can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the immune system's overreaction damages the body's own organs and tissues. Sepsis is a leading cause of death in US hospitals, accounting for one in three deaths annually.
The mortality rate for C. auris is estimated to be between 30 and 70 percent, with approximately 47 percent of patients dying if the fungus invades their bloodstream.
Data from 2022 to 2024 indicates that most detected C. auris cases occurred in men over the age of 45. The highest concentration of cases, 28.5 percent, was reported in the Western United States, followed by the Midwest at 21.3 percent and the Southeast at 20.2 percent.
More recent data for 2024 shows California with 961 cases, Texas with 719, Nevada with 690, Illinois with 577, and Florida with 544. No cases were reported in Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas, Maine, Rhode Island, Alaska, or Hawaii in 2024.
CDC officials emphasized that the rise in C. auris cases highlights ongoing transmission within healthcare settings and underscores the critical importance of robust infection prevention and control measures. Continued collaboration between federal, state, and local public health partners is essential to curb further spread.