Drug-Resistant Fungus Spreads in U.S. Care Facilities: What Families Should Know
About This Article
Candida auris (C. auris) is a drug-resistant fungus spreading primarily in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. Healthy people face very little risk, but older adults with serious illnesses, ventilators, catheters or weakened immune systems can develop life-threatening infections.
James Kelly
LTC News staff writer specializing in long-term care and aging.
If someone you love is currently in a nursing home, assisted living, rehabilitation center or hospital, there is one emerging health threat worth understanding. It's called Candida auris, or C. auris. The CDC classifies it as an "urgent antimicrobial resistance threat" because it spreads easily in health care settings and is often resistant to multiple antifungal medications.
The fungus spreads primarily within hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and other health care settings rather than through everyday community activities. But if someone you love is on a ventilator, has a catheter or feeding tube, or lives in a skilled nursing facility, this is worth your attention.
What Is Candida Auris?
C. auris is a type of yeast, first identified in Japan in 2009 and first reported in the United States in 2016. Unlike the common yeast infections many women experience, which are usually caused by a different, treatable species, C. auris can cause severe bloodstream, wound, and ear infections in people who are already frail or seriously ill.
The fungus can survive for weeks on bed rails, blood pressure cuffs, and other shared medical equipment, according to the CDC. It can also live harmlessly on a person's skin without causing symptoms, a condition doctors call colonization. Someone can carry the fungus on their skin for months without becoming sick, yet still unknowingly spread it to vulnerable patients during routine care or contact with shared equipment.
Sometimes we get drug-resistant forms where there are no more antifungal drugs that are available to treat it. And that's why it's being called a 'superbug.'" — Dr. David Perlin, Chief Scientific Officer at the Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, quoted in CBS News.
Experts say candida auris spreads easily across surfaces and nearby environments, meaning people who show no symptoms may not realize it’s on their skin — and can unknowingly transfer it to objects or those around them.
Candida Auris Cases Are Climbing Nationwide
The CDC's national surveillance system shows the spread has accelerated over the past several years. Clinical C. auris cases rose from 2,882 in 2022 to 4,428 in 2023 and 6,304 in 2024, according to the CDC's Tracking C. auris page (cdc.gov, updated 2026).
Interim CDC surveillance as of Aug. 5, 2026, reported more than 3,000 additional clinical cases across 23 states so far this year, with Texas, Michigan and Illinois among the states with the highest 2026 case counts at 715, 518 and 379, respectively. Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Nevada, New Jersey and Arizona have also logged triple-digit totals.
The CDC notes that the pace of increase has slowed since 2022, even as the total case count keeps climbing, and that a rise in cases doesn't necessarily mean the fungus is spreading faster than it was.
Who Is Actually at Risk from Candida Auris
Nearly every confirmed infection occurs in someone who is already seriously ill, according to federal health data. The people most at risk include:
- Hospital patients on ventilators
- People with central intravenous lines, urinary catheters or feeding tubes
- Residents of ventilator-capable skilled nursing facilities
- Patients in long-term acute care hospitals, a category of facility for people who need extended, intensive medical care
- People undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients and others with weakened immune systems
Healthy adults living independently face little to no risk. The danger is concentrated almost entirely inside health care settings, particularly among older adults with multiple chronic conditions who move between hospitals and nursing facilities, the group most likely to encounter contaminated equipment or a colonized roommate. Transfers between hospitals, rehabilitation centers and skilled nursing facilities are one reason infection-control communication between providers is so important.
Visitors are not considered at meaningful risk of illness. However, following hand hygiene and any gown or glove instructions helps prevent carrying the fungus to other vulnerable patients.
Why Candida Auris Is So Hard to Treat
C. auris is often described as a "superbug" because of its drug resistance. A CDC analysis of more than 8,000 samples found over 95 percent were resistant to fluconazole, a first-line antifungal drug, and about 15 percent were resistant to amphotericin B. A small but growing number of strains resist all three major classes of antifungal medication, according to a CDC surveillance report published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), leaving doctors with few or no treatment options for those patients.
Limited studies suggest 30 to 60 percent of people with invasive C. auris infections die. The CDC emphasizes that these deaths cannot be attributed solely to C. auris, since nearly all affected patients already had serious underlying illnesses that put them at high risk.
What Infection-Control Experts Say About Candida Auris
Researchers who study C. auris in skilled nursing facilities say the fungus keeps coming back even after rooms are cleaned. Dr. Sarah Sansom, an attending physician of infectious diseases at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and co-author of a multicenter study of ventilator-capable nursing facilities, told Infection Control Today that surfaces near colonized patients were quickly recontaminated after disinfection and that facilities need to look beyond standard cleaning protocols (Infection Control Today, Aug. 2026).
The CDC's own recommendations reflect the same challenge: rigorous hand hygiene, disinfectants proven effective against C. auris, and contact or enhanced barrier precautions in nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities, especially those with ventilator-capable units.
What Families Can Do
If you have a parent or spouse in a nursing home, hospital, or rehab facility, you don't need to panic, but you should ask questions. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents long-term care providers nationally, recommends facilities use enhanced barrier precautions for residents at risk and coordinate with local health departments when cases are suspected (AHCA/NCAL Infection Prevention Forum guidance).
Consider asking your loved one's facility:
- What is your protocol for screening and isolating C. auris cases?
- Are staff following contact precautions, including gowns and gloves, with high-risk residents?
- What disinfectants do you use, and are they effective against C. auris?
- How are shared medical devices, such as blood pressure cuffs and monitoring equipment, cleaned between residents?
- How quickly would you notify our family if a case were identified on our loved one's unit?
Facilities that clearly explain their infection-prevention protocols and answer these questions confidently are generally more likely to have well-developed infection-control programs.
Long-Term Care Connection
Stories like this are a reminder of why the quality of an extended care facility matters as much as its location or amenities. Infection control, staffing levels and how quickly a facility responds to an emerging threat can directly affect a resident's safety and outcomes.
While infection control is important, it is only one factor families should evaluate. Staffing, quality ratings, care planning, rehabilitation services and financial preparedness all play important roles when selecting long-term care.
Families comparing nursing homes, rehabilitation centers or home care providers can use the LTC News Caregiver Directory to identify services in their area, while the Cost of Long-Term Care Services Calculator can help them understand local long-term care expenses. Our Learning Center also has resources on evaluating nursing home quality and planning for long-term care needs.
Preparing for future long-term care needs before a crisis occurs gives families more options, more control, and greater peace of mind.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with a doctor or your loved one's care team about any health concerns, including questions about Candida auris or infection risk at a specific facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should families avoid visiting loved ones because of Candida auris?
No. Families should continue visiting loved ones unless the care team advises otherwise. Visitors should follow the facility's infection-control procedures, including hand hygiene and wearing gowns or gloves when requested. These precautions help protect everyone in the facility.
How does Candida auris spread?
Unlike many infections that spread through everyday community contact, Candida auris spreads mainly in health care settings. It can survive for weeks on medical equipment, bed rails, and other surfaces. People can also carry the fungus on their skin without becoming sick, allowing it to spread unknowingly to other vulnerable patients.
What should someone who tests positive for Candida auris do after leaving a health care facility?
People who have tested positive should tell physicians, nurses, and other health care providers about their positive test before future medical appointments or when being admitted to a hospital, rehabilitation center, or nursing home. Good hand hygiene should continue at home, and family caregivers should consider wearing disposable gloves when providing personal care such as wound care or bathing.
What questions should families ask a nursing home or hospital?
Consider asking:
- Does the facility screen for Candida auris when appropriate?
- How are residents with Candida auris cared for?
- What infection-control precautions do staff follow?
- How are shared medical devices disinfected between residents?
- How would families be notified if a case occurs on a loved one's unit?
Facilities that confidently explain their infection-prevention procedures generally demonstrate a stronger commitment to resident safety.
Who is most at risk for a Candida auris infection?
The people most at risk are those who are already seriously ill, including:
- Patients on ventilators
- People with urinary catheters, feeding tubes or central IV lines
- Residents of skilled nursing facilities, especially ventilator-capable facilities
- Patients in long-term acute care hospitals
- People undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients and others with weakened immune systems
Healthy people living independently face very little risk.
Can Candida auris be completely eliminated from a room through cleaning?
Cleaning is essential, but it can be challenging. Research has shown that rooms may become recontaminated after cleaning because colonized patients can continue shedding the fungus. This is why facilities use multiple infection-control measures, including effective disinfectants, hand hygiene, and contact precautions.
What does it mean if someone is colonized with Candida auris?
Colonization means a person carries the fungus on their skin or body without showing symptoms or developing an infection. Although colonized individuals may never become sick, they can still spread the fungus to others, making infection-control measures especially important in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Why is Candida auris called a "superbug"?
Many strains of Candida auris are resistant to commonly used antifungal medications. Some strains resist multiple classes of antifungal drugs, making infections much more difficult to treat. Although the term "superbug" is commonly used, the fungus primarily threatens people who already have serious medical conditions.
Can healthy family members catch Candida auris?
For most healthy people, the risk of becoming ill from Candida auris is very low. Visitors and family members are not considered to be at meaningful risk of infection, but they should follow hand hygiene recommendations and wear gowns or gloves if instructed by the facility to help prevent spreading the fungus to vulnerable patients.
What is Candida auris (C. auris)?
Candida auris (C. auris) is a drug-resistant yeast that can cause serious infections in people who are already medically vulnerable. It spreads primarily in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and other health care facilities rather than through everyday community contact. The CDC considers it an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat because it is difficult to treat and can spread easily in health care environments.
Why does Candida auris matter when planning for long-term care?
Infection control is one of many factors families should evaluate when choosing a nursing home, rehabilitation center or other long-term care provider. Staffing, quality ratings, rehabilitation services, emergency preparedness and financial planning all contribute to quality care. Preparing for future long-term care needs before a health crisis gives families more choices, greater control and added peace of mind. Families can also use the LTC News Caregiver Directory to compare providers and the Cost of Long-Term Care Services Calculator to better understand care costs in their area.
Does a positive test always mean someone has an active infection?
No. Some people test positive because they are colonized with Candida auris, meaning they carry the fungus without becoming ill. Others develop an active infection that requires treatment. A physician determines whether a positive test represents colonization or infection.
