Candida Auris: Killer Fungus Spreads Across 27 States In US | Check Symptoms, Treatment

Last Updated:December 31, 2025, 21:31 IST

Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus, has infected at least 7,000 people across 27 US states in 2025, with hospitals struggling as climate change fuels its spread.

Candida auris, first reported in the US in 2016, is a type of invasive yeast that can cause deadly infections, especially in people with weakened immune systems

Amid the rising in flu cases in the US, 27 states have reported cases of Candida Auris, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

NEXSTAR quoted CDC reporting that hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities are struggling to gain ground on a drug-resistant and deadly fungus that has infected at least 7,000 people in 2025.

Candida auris, first reported in the US in 2016, is a type of invasive yeast that can cause deadly infections, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Some strains of the fungus are considered to be a superbug.

According to the CDC, Candida auris can cause infection in different parts of the body like the blood, wounds, and ears. Though the symptoms depend on the location and severity of infection, they may be similar to symptoms of infections caused by bacteria like fever or chills. There is not a common set of symptoms specific for Candida auris infections.

It stated that the infection mostly affects patients with severe underlying medical conditions and those requiring complex medical care and invasive medical devices.

“If you get infected with this pathogen that’s resistant to any treatment, there’s no treatment we can give you to help combat it. You’re all on your own," Melissa Nolan, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina, told Nexstar.

The media outlet reported that the annual case count is approaching last year’s record-breaking figure of more than 7,500 cases.

According to the scientists, climate change contributes to the spread of Candida auris and similar pathogens.

“We have tremendous protection against environmental fungi because of our temperature. However, if the world is getting warmer and the fungi begin to adapt to higher temperatures as well, some … are going to reach what I call the temperature barrier, where they’ll be able to survive in the human body," microbiologist Arturo Casadevall, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, told the Associated Press.

Previously, the CDC said “based on information from a limited number of patients, 30–60% of people with C. auris infections have died. However, many of these people had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death".

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