High Alert for WA & OR as Deadly Fungus Spreads Across US

Washington and Oregon Are on high Alert as a Fungus Is Rapidly Spreading.

The multi-drug-resistant fungal disease is deadly and cases are on the rise nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), clinical cases have continued to increase since it was first reported in 2016.

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Candida Auris Is a Type of Fungus That Spreads Easily and Can Cause Severe Illness.

C. auris mostly affects hospitalized patients and nursing home residents.

Reported National Clinical Case Counts of C. Auris:

In 2023, there were 4,514 new clinical cases reported in the United States. According to a release from the Washington State Department of Health, there was an outbreak in King County in 2024. A Snohomish County nursing facility also reported a patient with C. auris.

C. auris is an emerging fungus that was first reported in 2009 in Japan and has spread globally. It is a life-threatening, highly transmissible, often multidrug resistant yeast that can cause difficult to control healthcare outbreaks among vulnerable patients. Based on information from a limited number of patients, more than 1 in 3 people with C. auris infections have died. Patients needing long term acute care and indwelling medical devices are at the highest risk for acquisition, and once colonized, for infection.

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C. Auris Can Cause Infections and May Be Deadly If Infection Enters the Bloodstream.

C. auris can cause infection in different parts of the body like the blood, wounds, and ears. Symptoms of a C. auris infection depend on the location and severity of infection. Symptoms may be similar to symptoms of infections caused by bacteria like fever or chills.

Most healthy people are not at risk for C. auris.