Drug-Resistant Fungus Candida Auris Spreads Globally as Researchers Seek New Treatments

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A deadly and drug-resistant fungus known as Candida auris is expanding its global footprint and exhibiting increased resistance to human immune systems, presenting a growing challenge to healthcare facilities worldwide, according to a newly released scientific review.

The pathogen, which has already permeated hospitals across the United States, has now been identified in at least 60 countries, prompting urgent warnings from medical researchers regarding the need for improved diagnostics and novel therapeutic agents.

The findings were detailed in a comprehensive review published in early December by researchers from the Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI).

The report, which appeared in the journal Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, underscores the accelerating threat posed by C. auris, often referred to as a "superbug fungus." According to the review, the fungus is becoming increasingly difficult to contain due to its ability to withstand existing treatments and its growing resilience against the body’s natural defenses.

The review was conducted by a team of prominent specialists, including Dr. Neeraj Chauhan of the Hackensack Meridian CDI in New Jersey, Dr. Anuradha Chowdhary of the University of Delhi’s Medical Mycology Unit, and Dr. Michail Lionakis, who serves as chief of the clinical mycology program at the National Institutes of Health.

Their collective analysis reinforces prior alerts issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has labeled C. auris as an "urgent antimicrobial threat." Notably, this marks the first instance that a fungal pathogen has received such a designation from the agency.

The scale of the infection’s spread has become a focal point for health officials. Fox News reported that approximately 7,000 cases were identified across dozens of U.S. states in 2025 alone. The fungus, which was first identified in 2009 from a patient's ear sample in Japan, has since traversed the globe. The rapid proliferation of the pathogen has forced some hospital intensive care units to temporarily shut down to manage outbreaks, according to the researchers involved in the study.

The distinct danger of C. auris lies in its persistence and mode of transmission. Unlike many other fungal pathogens, C. auris possesses the ability to survive on human skin and cling to surfaces within hospital environments.

This resilience allows it to transfer easily between patients and medical equipment. Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst for Fox News and a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone, explained the transmission mechanics in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"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. Siegel said.

The risk is most acute for individuals who are already critically ill. Estimates cited in the report suggest that once infected, approximately half of the patients may die. The fungus poses the greatest threat to those relying on invasive medical devices or those with significantly weakened immune systems. Health experts have emphasized, however, that C. auris does not typically pose a threat to healthy people.

Compounding the danger is the difficulty medical professionals face in accurately diagnosing the infection. Dr. Siegel noted that the symptoms associated with C. auris are often nonspecific, leading to delays in both treatment and the implementation of necessary infection control measures. "Unfortunately, symptoms such as fever, chills and aches may be ubiquitous, and it can be mistaken for other infections," Dr. Siegel told Fox News Digital.

The treatment landscape remains complicated by the fungus's ability to evolve. Currently, there are only four major classes of antifungal drugs available to physicians. The CDI review warns that C. auris has already demonstrated resistance to many of these existing medications. While three new antifungal drugs have been approved or are currently in late-stage clinical trials, researchers caution that the pace of drug development has struggled to keep up with the pathogen's rapid evolution.

The authors of the CDI review stressed the necessity of a multi-pronged approach to combat the spread. In a statement, the researchers called for the development of "novel antifungal agents with broad-spectrum activity against human fungal pathogens." They also advocated for improvements in diagnostic tests and the creation of "immune- and vaccine-based adjunct modalities" to assist in the treatment of high-risk patients.

Furthermore, the team highlighted the importance of global surveillance. "Future efforts should focus on raising awareness about fungal disease through developing better surveillance mechanisms, especially in resource-poor countries," the researchers added. They expressed hope that these developments would improve the prognosis for patients afflicted by what they termed "opportunistic fungal infections."

Despite the sobering data regarding resistance and spread, recent scientific inquiries have provided grounds for cautious optimism. Separate research conducted by scientists at the University of Exeter in England has identified a potential biological weakness in the fungus. In a study published in December in the Nature portfolio journal Communications Biology, the research team examined C. auris within a living-host model.

The Exeter researchers discovered that during an active infection, the fungus activates specific genes designed to scavenge iron, a nutrient essential for its survival. This mechanism could present a target for future pharmaceutical interventions. Dr. Hugh Gifford, a clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter and a co-author of the study, suggested that disrupting this process could be key to neutralizing the threat.

"We think our research may have revealed an Achilles’ heel in this lethal pathogen during active infection," Dr. Gifford said in a statement. The researchers believe that drugs engineered to block this iron-scavenging process could eventually stop infections or potentially allow existing medications to be repurposed to fight the fungus more effectively.

As the scientific community races to understand the evolving nature of C. auris, health officials maintain that strict infection control protocols and rapid detection remain the primary defenses.

Dr. Siegel noted in September that intense research was ongoing to develop new treatments, a sentiment reinforced by the findings from both the CDI review and the University of Exeter study. Fox News Digital reported that it has reached out to the CDI researchers and additional experts for further comment on the situation.