Clinical cases of drug-resistant fungus Candida auris continue to rise in Louisiana

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fungus is called Candida auris, or C. auris, “is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spreads easily among patients in healthcare facilities.”

Certain people are most at risk for this fungus. The CDC said the fungus “mostly affects patients with severe underlying medical conditions and those requiring complex medical care and invasive medical devices.”

Clinical cases of Candida auris have risen since 2022, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The numbers show that the state is on pace to top last year’s number of cases.

LDH provided a breakdown of clinical cases of this fungus by region.

Signs of Candida auris

The fungus “can cause infection in different parts of the body, like the blood, wounds, and ears,” according to the CDC.

The fungus can survive for a long time on objects and surfaces. Patients who have it on their skin or body along with “surfaces and objects like bedrails, doorknobs, and blood pressure cuffs” are ways it can be spread, according to the CDC.

The good news is that the CDC said “healthy people typically do not get” this fungus.

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