(CDC) warns that the rapidly spreading fungus in 28 states poses an "urgent" threat

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that the rapidly spreading fungus in 28 states poses an "urgent" threat.

Candida auris, or C. auris, has been detected in over half of the U.S. states.

It is often resistant to antifungal medication, making the infection difficult to treat.

The CDC said that while it does not pose a significant threat to healthy people, an outbreak of Candida auris is a considerable threat in healthcare settings, as the fungus can enter patients' bloodstreams and cause serious and potentially fatal infections.

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a fungus that poses an "urgent threat to antimicrobial resistance" has been detected in more than half of U.S. states.

Candida auris, or C. auris, is of concern because it is often resistant to antifungal medications, making infections difficult to treat. It can also be difficult to recognize on standard laboratory tests, making it more difficult to treat correctly and early.

The fungus was first detected in the United States in 2016. The CDC wrote the fungus "spread at an alarming rate" between 2020 and 2021 in healthcare facilities in a note released Monday and has continued to spread in 2022.

By the end of 2022, there were more than 8,000 cases of Candida auris identified in 28 states and Washington, D.C. The map below shows confirmed cases of the fungus, with the states shaded in red having the most infections.

The CDC said that while it does not pose a significant threat to healthy people, an outbreak of Candida auris is a considerable threat in healthcare settings, as the fungus can enter patients' bloodstreams and cause serious and potentially fatal infections.

Sick people, those who stay in the hospital for a long time, and patients with invasive medical devices (such as catheters or I.V.s) are most at risk.

The stress that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on the healthcare system may have allowed the fungus to spread more quickly.

"The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases are concerning and underscores the need for continued surveillance, expanded laboratory capacity, faster diagnostic testing, and adherence to infection prevention and control," CDC epidemiologist Megan Lyman said in a news release.

See the chart below for the number of clinical cases of Candida auris by state, according to CDC data:

The CDC explained that while Iowa did not have any clinical cases of Candida auris in 2022, it still had some "check-up cases." This means that the fungus has been detected but was not known to cause infection effectively.