Should You Be Worried About This “Superbug” Spreading in the U.S.?

3 min readA new government report details how a drug-resistant fungus is spreading across the U.S.The fungal infection is hard to treat and usually shows up in healthcare settings.While it mainly impacts people who are already sick, healthcare providers say it’s important to be aware of this fungus.A drug-resistant “superbug” fungus that can be deadly is spreading across the U.S., with a new government report showing just how widespread the problem is. The fungus, Candida auris, is both very good at colonizing the skin and surviving in the environment, says Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York. It is also an “opportunist,” meaning it preys on people who are sick, according to Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, which helps explain why cases are rising in healthcare facilities.Doctors stress that Candida auris isn’t really a risk to people who are otherwise healthy. But given how much it’s spreading and how dangerous it can be, they still say it should be on everyone’s radar. Here’s what you should keep in mind.Meet the experts: Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York; Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health SecurityWhat did the report find?The report, which was released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), notes that more than 3,000 screening cases of Candida auris have been reported in 23 states so far this year. While cases vary by state, Texas has reported the most cases with 706, while Michigan has reported 503 cases. Illinois comes in third with 366 reported cases.These latest stats add to a growing body of research that suggests Candida auris cases are on the rise. A report published in 2023 in the Annals of Internal Medicine broke down thousands of cases from across the country through Dec. 31, 2021, and found a 44 percent year-over-year increase in cases in 2019, and a 95 percent jump in cases in 2021.What is Candida auris?Candida auris is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness, according to the CDC. It can cause a range of infections, from skin infections to severe, life-threatening bloodstream infections. Most cases are treated with antifungals, but it is usually very resistant, making it tough to treat.How does it spread?Most Candida auris infections happen in people who are already sick, Dr. Adalja says. “It only becomes deadly when the body’s defenses are already down,” he says. Part of the reason Candida auris may be more prevalent in healthcare settings might also have to do with your body’s largest organ: your skin. “Patients with central lines, catheters, ventilators, or feeding tubes give it a direct route into the bloodstream that a healthy person’s intact skin simply doesn’t offer.”Candida auris spreads through hand-to-hand contact and between surfaces in healthcare facilities, Dr. Adalja explains. “It survives for weeks on bed rails, blood pressure cuffs, and other shared equipment, which is why a single colonized patient can seed an entire ICU or nursing home,” he says.Dr. Russo says this fungus is likely even more widespread than the data suggest given how hardy it is. “I suspect it’s in all states,” he says. “It’s really spreading across the world.”People can carry Candida auris on their skin without becoming sick (this is known as colonization), which is why the CDC emphasizes the importance of infection control practices, good hygiene, and thorough room cleaning in order to minimize spread to vulnerable patients.How to lower your risk of Candida aurisIf you’re an otherwise healthy person, you’re fine to carry on as usual, according to Dr. Adalja. “This isn’t a threat you need to change anything for,” he says.But if you have an immunocompromised loved one, careful hand hygiene and following safety practices put in place by any medical facilities you interact with will go a long way toward keeping those around you safe, Dr. Russo says.