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6d ago

Candida Auris Cases Top 3,400 as Texas and Michigan Emerge as Hotspots

Spread in hospitals combined with resistance to common antifungals is driving stricter infection controls that are straining labs and care facilities.

Roberto Vasquez, left, and Daniel Montelongo research treatments to combat Candida auris in a microbiology lab run by Dr. Jose L. Lopez-Ribot at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2019.
Nearly 3,200 Candida auris infections have been reported nationwide so far this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Texas had the most cases of any state: 715.
Candida Auris Cases Surge Past 3,400 in the US - Why Experts Are Alarmed
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Overview

  • Federal CDC data show more than 3,400 Candida auris detections across 27 states in 2026, reflecting continued national growth in mid‑to‑late July.
  • Texas reported 715 cases as of July 25 and Michigan reported 503 cases as of July 18, marking rapid state‑level surges that health officials call hotspots.
  • The fungus spreads primarily in hospitals and long‑term care facilities by colonizing skin and contaminating surfaces and equipment, which helps it move from patient to patient.
  • Many isolates are drug resistant, with over 95% resistant to fluconazole, about 15% resistant to amphotericin B, roughly 1% resistant to echinocandins, and a small share resistant to all three major drug classes.
  • Public health agencies are expanding screening, isolation, EPA‑approved surface disinfection, PPE use and device sterilization, measures that increase workload for laboratories and care teams and heighten risk for medically vulnerable patients.