CDC reports 3,437 Candida auris cases across 27 states as of late July
The CDC says 3,437 Candida auris infections have been identified in 27 U.S. states through the week ending July 25, a decline from the same period last year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 3,437 cases of the yeast Candida auris have been identified in 27 states through the week ending July 25, a drop of about 1,000 cases compared with the same time last year. California leads with 873 cases, followed by Texas with 433 and Tennessee with 283.
"The rate of C. auris cases continues to rise each year, but the rate of increase has slowed since 2022," the agency said.
Candida auris can cause a range of infections, from skin conditions to life-threatening bloodstream infections, and spreads readily in health-care settings. It can persist on surfaces such as doorknobs and bedrails, facilitating transmission from patients who are symptomatic or merely colonized.
People with weakened immune systems, including those in hospitals or nursing homes who have catheters, breathing tubes or other invasive devices, are at higher risk. While most healthy individuals are unlikely to be affected, the fungus poses a treatment challenge because many strains are resistant to common antifungal drugs. CDC analysis of more than 8,000 samples from 2022-2023 found over 95% were resistant to fluconazole, 15% to amphotericin B, and a small fraction to echinocandins or all three classes.
Echinocandins remain the preferred therapy for most infections, though mortality estimates for Candida auris range from 30% to 60% according to limited studies.