Arizona reports 30% increase in Candida auris cases in 2026, CDC data shows
Arizona recorded 171 cases of the drug-resistant fungus Candida auris year-to-date in 2026, a rise of nearly 30% from the same period in 2025, according to CDC surveillance.
Arizona health officials said the state has documented 171 cases of Candida auris through July 2026, up from 133 cases during the same timeframe in 2025, representing an increase of about 30%, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The fungus, a drug-resistant yeast, spreads rapidly in health-care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes and is difficult to eradicate from surfaces and equipment.
The CDC, which is monitoring the outbreak nationwide, notes that more than half of U.S. states have reported cases, with a total of 3,437 cases identified across 26 states as of July 25, 2026. Nationally, clinical cases have risen sharply over the past decade, from 48 in 2016 to 6,304 in 2024.
"Screening patients for C. auris is important in stopping an outbreak," the CDC advised, adding that many infected individuals may be asymptomatic. The agency also recommends frequent hand washing with alcohol-based sanitizer, thorough cleaning of patient rooms with specialized disinfectants, isolating infected patients, and using gloves and gowns when providing care.
Symptoms, when they appear, can include fever and chills, and severe infections may enter the bloodstream, complicating treatment because the fungus resists many antifungal drugs.