Superbug confirmed in 23 states: Where is the deadly fungus spreading in 2026?

Healthcare Superbug confirmed in 23 states: Where is the deadly fungus spreading in 2026? Comments: by Alix Martichoux - 08/02/26 11:51 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Alix Martichoux - 08/02/26 11:51 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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(NEXSTAR) – The drug-resistant and deadly fungus Candida auris has proven hard to stamp out in 2026. Despite efforts to contain its spread, the fungus is once again on the move, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.

Candida auris was first reported in the U.S. in 2016 and has spread rapidly over the past several years. Some strains of the fungus are considered a superbug because they’re resistant to all types of medications usually used to treat fungal infections.

While healthy people may be able to fight off the infection on their own, the fungus can be deadly in health care settings, where people are often sick and vulnerable. Candida auris can survive on surfaces for long periods of time before spreading to patients through catheters, breathing tubes or IVs.

So far in 2026, nearly half of U.S. states have reported cases to the CDC. The most cases are in Texas, which had more than 700 known cases as of mid-July.

Michigan, the current epicenter of a very different public health outbreak, is close behind with 503 cases of Candida auris.

See which states are reporting the most cases of Candida auris in the map below.

A recent review of the fungus’ spread between 2022 and 2024 found that the vast majority of clinical cases, about 88%, were in people over the age of 45. A majority of patients were men and most were in acute care settings.

When it spreads in a health care setting, where patients’ health is already compromised, the fungus can be deadly.

“If you get infected with this pathogen that’s resistant to any treatment, there’s no treatment we can give you to help combat it. You’re all on your own,” Melissa Nolan, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina, previously told Nexstar.

In the past, the CDC estimated that “based on information from a limited number of patients, 30–60% of people with C. auris infections have died. However, many of these people had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death.”

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