Candida Auris isn’t just another obscure infection — it’s now a highly drug-resistant fungal pathogen spreading across the United States and killing vulnerable patients in hospitals and care facilities.
According to data tracked in 2025 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and confirmed by The Hill, at least 7,000 people have been infected this year, with cases of the "superbug" reported in 27 U.S. states so far.
First detected in the U.S. in 2016, Candida auris (often abbreviated as C. auris) has spread to more than half of the country’s states and continues to increase in healthcare settings where it thrives.
It’s hazardous in hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities because the fungus persists on surfaces and can spread between patients, staff, and medical equipment.
What makes C. auris particularly frightening is its resistance to treatment. Many strains are resistant to multiple antifungal agents, and some are resistant to all three major classes of antifungal drugs used in clinical practice.
What's more, the disease has become even more pervasive—and deadly—over time. According to Gizmodo, fungal infections as a whole are estimated to cause millions of deaths globally each year, highlighting the growing concern around drug-resistant strains like Candida auris.
Patients most at risk of life-threatening disease are those already very sick, immunocompromised, or reliant on invasive devices such as central lines, catheters, or ventilators—common in intensive care settings.
Once inside the bloodstream, Candida Auris can trigger sepsis, organ failure, and shock, with mortality estimates from limited studies ranging from roughly 30% to 60% among affected patients.
The geographic spread and yearly case counts illustrate how rapidly this infection has grown. In 2023, 4,514 clinical cases were reported in the U.S., and tracking data now indicate nearly 7,000 infections in 2025, approaching last year’s record totals.
Experts believe part of the reason for the rise may be environmental shifts. As climate change raises temperatures, fungi historically unable to survive in warm-blooded hosts may be adapting—potentially making outbreaks like this more common.