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SEATTLE - The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is tracking an emerging fungus—Candida auris (C. Auris)—that can cause infections and illnesses, which can spread easily among sick patients in healthcare facilities.
According to a data report from the CDC that tracks weekly cases of notifiable diseases in the U.S., there are 13 cases in Washington state as of 2026.
What is C. Auris?
What we know:
Candida auris (C. auris) is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spread easily among sick patients in healthcare facilities, according to the CDC website. There is a range of infections, from the skin to the bloodstream.
Symptoms depend on the location and severity of the infection, such as fevers or chills, but there is not a common set of symptoms for this specific type of infection. Patients can also have C. Auris on their skin without symptoms, which healthcare providers describe as "colonization." This means people who are colonized can spread C. Auris onto surfaces and objects around them without knowing.
For those with health anxiety, the CDC said healthcare providers can screen patients for colonization by collecting and testing skin swabs. If you are worried, speaking to a healthcare provider can ease those nerves.
Invasive medical devices include: Breathing tubes, feeding tubes, catheters in a vein and urinary catheters.
What we don't know:
Health officials have not disclosed which specific cities, counties or care facilities in Washington state account for the 13 reported cases.
What does treatment look like?
Strains of this fungus are resistant to at least one type of antifungal medicine, according to the CDC website, but can be treated with a class of antifungal medication called echinocandians. Some strains are resistant to all three classes of antifungal medications and there is limited data on treatment. However, most patients who become sick with C. Auris were already very sick.
For in-depth information and updates, refer to the CDC website.
The Source: Information in this story came from the CDC.
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