Drug-resistant fungus Candida auris confirmed in 3,437 U.S. cases across 27 states

As of the week ending July 25, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control has documented 3,437 clinical cases of Candida auris across 27 U.S. states, according to reporting by Fox News. California accounts for 873 cases (roughly one-quarter of the national total), followed by Texas with 433, Tennessee with 283, and Ohio with 279. Eight other states have reported between 100 and 200 cases each.

Candida auris is a type of yeast that causes serious infections primarily in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings. The fungus survives on surfaces for prolonged periods and is highly transmissible between patients through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, per CDC guidance cited in the reporting. It can spread through contaminated items such as bedrails, doorknobs, and shared medical equipment, and can be spread by people who carry the fungus without showing symptoms, a condition known as colonization.

The health effects range from colonization without symptoms to potentially deadly invasive infections, including bloodstream infections. Patients at highest risk include those with severe underlying medical conditions, particularly those using breathing tubes, feeding tubes, intravenous lines, or catheters, and those hospitalized frequently or for prolonged periods. People without those risk factors are unlikely to become colonized or develop infection, according to the source material.

Invasive C. auris infections have been associated with mortality rates of 30% to 72%, although most affected patients are already seriously ill. Symptoms such as fever, chills, and aches may be mistaken for other infections, complicating early diagnosis. The CDC classifies C. auris as an urgent antimicrobial-resistance threat.

More than 90% of U.S. samples are resistant to fluconazole, a common antifungal treatment. Echinocandins, another family of antifungals, are currently the main treatment option for C. auris. However, some strains are resistant to all three main classes of antifungals. Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone and Fox News senior medical analyst, noted that C. auris tends to spread in hospital settings among immunocompromised and semi-immunocompromised patients, and stated that sterilization and disinfection measures in hospitals can be very helpful in addressing the broader antimicrobial-resistance problem. Major research is ongoing to develop new treatments.

It is important to note that the CDC's definition of a clinical case is detection of C. auris in a specimen collected during normal medical care. Some clinical specimens can represent colonization rather than true infection, meaning not all 3,437 documented cases are necessarily invasive infections.