News Health & Medicine

U.S. cases of a deadly fungus nearly doubled in recent years

A small number of Candida auris infections are also resistant to antifungal drugs

An illustration of Candida auris. Appears as purple bubbles on a dark blue background.

Candida auris, pictured in this illustration, causes a potentially deadly fungal infection. The fungus is spreading rapidly and U.S. public health officials classify it as an urgent threat because it is also becoming resistant to antifungal drugs.

Stephanie Rossow

By Tina Hesman Saey

A fungus that recently evolved to infect humans is spreading rapidly in health care facilities in the United States and becoming harder to treat, a study from the U.S.