SACRAMENTO - A deadly, drug-resistant fungus has been reported in 27 states, including California, according to federal data.

The deadly, drug-resistant fungus has infected more than 7,000 people.

The fungus — called Candida auris — is considered an “emerging infectious disease.” California has reported 1, 524 cases of the fungal infection, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Candida auris is a type of yeast infection that spreads rapidly among sick patients in health care facilities, federal health experts said. The fungus can cause everything from skin infections to life-threatening bloodstream infections, according to the CDC. It’s difficult to treat as it adapts to drugs designed to kill it, experts said.

C. auris usually affects patients with severe underlying medical conditions and people with invasive medical devices such as breathing tubes, feeding tubes and catheters, according to the CDC.

Story Date: February 9, 2026