A deadly, treatment-resistant fungus that acts similarly to cancer is rapidly spreading across hospitals throughout the country as officials struggle to contain it.
Candida Auris, a type of yeast that can survive on surfaces for long periods of time, was first detected in hospitals in 2016, with 52 infections reported across four states.
In the years since, cases have increased exponentially, with at least 7,000 people infected in 2025, according to tracking data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC had already declared the fungus an ‘urgent threat’ in 2023, when 4,514 infections were detected across the country that year.
Dr Timothy Connelly, at Memorial Health in Savannah, Georgia, told WJCL in March that being infected with the disease is similar to having cancer.
‘The fungus will just keep getting bigger and bigger, obstruct certain parts of the lungs, and can cause secondary pneumonia. Eventually, it can go on to kill people,’ he said.
C. Auris poses a particularly significant threat in hospitals, where it can colonize the skin of individuals through physical contact with contaminated medical equipment.
And the fungus is resistant to many standard disinfectants and cleaning products used in hospitals, as well as antifungal drugs, making it extremely difficult to treat.
Candida Auris, a fungus that is rapidly spreading across hospitals throughout the country, acts similarly to cancer by growing and obstructing the lungs (stock image)
The above graph shows the exponential increase in C. Auris infections since 2016. By 2023, the number of cases jumped to 4,514, and at least 7,000 cases have been reported in 2025
Because it is so treatment-resistant, people who contract the fungus must rely solely on their immune system to fight off the infection. Those who are already sick and have compromised immunity are therefore at the greatest risk.
If the fungus infects a person’s blood through cuts or devices such as those for a breathing tube or a catheter, it is more likely to be fatal.
The CDC has estimated that 30 percent to 60 percent of people with a C. Auris infection have died, though most of them also had other serious illnesses that increased their risk of death.
Those who have prolonged stays in the hospital or need invasive medical devices are particularly at risk of infection, doctors say.
Warning signs include a fever and chills that persist after treatment with antibiotics for a suspected bacterial infection. There may also be redness, warmth and pus at the site of infected wounds.
A study published by Cambridge University Press in July examined patients infected with C. Auris, primarily in Nevada and Florida, and determined that more than half of them required admission to an intensive care unit.
The study also found that one-third required mechanical ventilation and that more than half needed a blood transfusion.
The fungus’ drug resistance has made it hard to contain. More than half the states in the US have reported cases this year.
C Auris is resistant to many antifungals and disinfectants commonly used in the hospital
The CDC has estimated that 30 percent to 60 percent of people with a C. Auris infection have died, though most of them also had other serious illnesses (stock image)
Nevada alone has reported 1,605 cases in 2025, followed closely by neighboring California, which reported 1,524 cases.
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control in March warned that cases at Florida’s Jackson Health System, which treats about 120,000 patients every year, have surged more than 2,000 percent in half a decade.
There were just five infections diagnosed in the system in 2019, the study said, but that number quickly ballooned to 115 cases in 2023.
Overall, they found blood cultures were the most common source of infections, although there was a large increase from 2022 of infections in soft tissue.
Some scientists believe the rapidly increasing number of cases can be at least partially attributed to climate change.
Fungi normally have a difficult time infecting and taking hold in humans’ bodies because of our high internal temperatures.
But as the world gets warmer, fungi are quickly adapting and becoming resistant to heat.
Microbiologist Arturo Casadevall, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, told the Associated Press: ‘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.’