The "Superbug Fungus" Everyone's Worried About Just Got Worse

A drug-resistant fungus that's been ripping through U.S. hospitals just became an even bigger problem, and doctors are running out of ways to fight it.

Candida auris—C. auris for short—is spreading globally and getting better at dodging human immune systems. Researchers at Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation published a review in early December laying out just how bad things are getting, and it's not a fun read.

The CDC already labeled C. auris an "urgent antimicrobial threat," making it the first fungal pathogen to get that dubious honor. About 7,000 cases popped up across dozens of U.S. states in 2025 alone. It's been identified in at least 60 countries at this point.

Why It's So Hard to Stop

C. auris was first identified in Japan back in 2009 from a patient's ear sample. Since then, it's spread to dozens of countries, and outbreaks have forced some hospital ICUs to completely shut down.

The fungus hits hardest in people who are already critically ill—especially those on ventilators or with weakened immune systems. Once infected, roughly half of patients die. Not exactly reassuring statistics.

What makes this thing particularly nasty is that unlike most fungi, C. auris can survive on human skin and stick to hospital surfaces and medical equipment. Ventilators, catheters, whatever—if it's touching an immunocompromised patient, the fungus can spread.

"It is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, and it tends to spread in hospital settings, including on equipment being used on immunocompromised and semi-immunocompromised patients, such as ventilators and catheters," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said.

It also gets misdiagnosed constantly because the symptoms—fever, chills, aches—look like about a dozen other infections. By the time doctors figure out what they're actually dealing with, the fungus has had time to spread.

The Treatment Problem

Only four major classes of antifungal drugs exist right now, and C. auris has already developed resistance to many of them. Three new antifungal drugs have been approved or are in late-stage trials, but researchers say drug development can't keep up with how fast this thing evolves.

The review—put together by Dr. Neeraj Chauhan of Hackensack Meridian CDI, Dr. Anuradha Chowdhary from the University of Delhi's Medical Mycology Unit, and Dr. Michail Lionakis from the National Institutes of Health—stresses that new drugs with broad-spectrum activity are desperately needed, along with better diagnostic tests too. Maybe even vaccines for high-risk patients.

They also pushed for better surveillance mechanisms, especially in countries without the resources to track these outbreaks effectively.

Maybe There's a Weak Spot

Scientists at the University of Exeter in England might've found something useful. Research published in December showed that during infection, C. auris activates specific genes to scavenge iron, which it needs to survive.

Block that iron-scavenging process, and you might be able to stop infections or repurpose existing medications to work better.

"We think our research may have revealed an Achilles' heel in this lethal pathogen during active infection," Dr. Hugh Gifford, a clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, said.

That's promising. It's also not a treatment sitting in pharmacies right now, which doesn't help hospitals dealing with C. auris outbreaks today.

Where Things Stand

Officials keep emphasizing that strict infection control, rapid detection, and continued investment in new treatments are critical. Health experts also point out that C. auris isn't a threat to healthy people—if your immune system works normally and you're not hospitalized with serious health problems, this isn't aimed at you.

But for hospitals and long-term care facilities dealing with vulnerable populations, this is a worsening problem with fewer solutions. The race is on to develop better treatments before the fungus evolves past everything currently available.

Did you find this information useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline to share with your friends.