An often drug resistant and sometimes deadly fungal infection has been found in 23 states this year, and Texas leads the way with more than 700 cases, according to federal health officials.
Candida auris can be spread by patients regardless of whether they have symptoms, and is most often found in health care facilities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends hand washing and disinfecting medical supplies, but the infection can be resistant to disinfectants and antifungal medication
Here’s what to know about the fungus and how to help prevent its spread
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What is Candida auris?
Candida auris, or Candidozyma auris, is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says the bug can be easily spread by very sick patients at health care facilities, regardless of whether or not the patient has symptoms of Candida auris
The infection is spread through physical contact with an infected person or by touching a surface that has been infected, such as a bedrail or doorknob
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The yeast is often resistant to antifungal medications, according to the CDC, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to treat
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What are the symptoms of Candida auris?
The fungus can cause infection in places such as the blood, ears or wounds. The CDC says there is no uniform set of symptoms. Some people may get a fever or chills, while others may be asymptomatic.
Even those without symptoms can spread the yeast to surfaces, objects and patients around them. When a patient has the bug without symptoms they are classified as “colonized.” The CDC says colonized patients can have and spread the fungus for weeks and even months
How many cases of Candida auris are there?
As of July 18, there were 3,130 cases this year in 23 states. Texas led with 706 cases, followed by Michigan with 503
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Who is most at risk of Candida auris infection?
A CDC report looking at Candida auris cases from 2022 to 2024, stated that 87.8% of cases were among adults aged 45 and older. The report also found that 61% of cases occurred in men. More than 75% of clinical cases were from patients in acute care hospitals, while more than 15% of cases were identified in long-term acute care hospitals
“It can be serious if you get it, but it’s not like everybody just out walking around is going to get it,” said Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UTHealth Houston
The CDC says patients with “severe underlying medical conditions who require complex medical care” are most affected. Patients who use medical devices such as breathing tubes, feeding tubes and catheters have an increased risk of infection
“Usually when you’re going to a hospital you don’t have a whole lot of choice about it,” Troisi said. “I think that while it is of concern, the risk is relatively small.”
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How to prevent the spread of Candida auris?
The CDC warns that Candida auris stays on surfaces for a long time, and not all disinfectants are capable of killing the bug. Keeping hands and surfaces clean can help prevent illness, though
“It all comes down to good prevention control measures, which hospitals are doing anyways,” Troisi said.
Troisi said when a patient is infected with a antifungal resistant strain of Candida auris, hospitals will want to isolate them and then triple clean the room with procedures that they know will kill the fungi once when leave
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Since the yeast can be resistant to medications, the CDC recommends using antibiotics and antifungals carefully, as taking them can hurt the body’s natural ability to protect itself, increasing the risk of getting the bug
“Don’t take antibiotics if you don’t need them and take them the way they are prescribed, but that’s one person,” Troisi said. “You aren’t contributing to the problem, but you also aren’t solving it. So, I would say there’s not a whole lot, if you are concerned about getting a multi-drug-resistant fungal infection like Candida auris, not a lot you can do personally other than avoid the infection to begin with.”
