Candida Auris: A Growing Health Threat in the U.S.

A drug-resistant fungus, Candida auris, is causing concern as it spreads across the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports clinical cases in at least 27 states this year. A map using federal surveillance data identifies regions with the highest outbreak levels, revealing several states with hundreds of cases.

According to the CDC’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, over 3,400 clinical cases have been reported among U.S. residents by July 25. Health officials are monitoring this fungus closely due to its resistance to multiple antifungal treatments and its ability to spread in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings, particularly among medically vulnerable individuals.

While the fungus poses minimal risk to most healthy individuals, experts note that it can cause severe infections in people with weakened immune systems, invasive medical devices, or other health complications. The CDC labels C. auris as an emerging public health threat, noting a consistent increase in cases as the pathogen becomes more prevalent in healthcare facilities nationwide.

What Is Candida Auris?

Candida auris is an emerging yeast species causing serious, possibly life-threatening infections. First identified in 2009, this fungus is particularly concerning because it often resists multiple antifungal drugs, complicating treatment. It can lead to a variety of illnesses ranging from skin infections to severe bloodstream infections in high-risk patients. C. auris spreads easily in healthcare settings and can survive on surfaces and medical equipment for long periods. Therefore, the CDC recognizes it as an urgent public health threat and collaborates with hospitals and public health agencies to control transmission.

How Common Is Candida Auris?

C. auris remains relatively rare among the general public, but cases have sharply increased over the last decade in the United States. The CDC reported 6,304 clinical cases nationwide in 2024, reflecting an upward trend since the fungus was first detected in 2013. Public health officials have cautioned that the pathogen’s geographic spread is expanding, becoming more established in healthcare facilities.

In 2025, the U.S. recorded 4,290 cases, and so far this year, there are 3,437 cases across 27 states. States with reported infections include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

California leads with 873 infections reported this year, followed by Texas with 433. Most infections occur in hospitals and long-term care facilities, where patients are medically fragile. Experts emphasize that healthy individuals generally have a low infection risk, with the spread mostly affecting those with significant health issues.

How Is Candida Auris Contracted?

C. auris primarily spreads through contact with contaminated surfaces, medical equipment, or infected individuals within healthcare settings. The fungus can persist on bed rails, medical devices, and other surfaces for weeks, facilitating patient-to-patient transmission if infection-control measures are inadequate. Those at greatest risk are individuals who are already seriously ill, have weakened immune systems, or require complex medical care.

Patients with ventilators, feeding tubes, catheters, or other invasive medical devices are particularly vulnerable, as the fungus can enter through these devices and cause invasive infections. Many carriers of C. auris show no symptoms but can spread the fungus, complicating outbreak control in hospitals and nursing homes.