A dangerous fungal infection that the CDC has warned is spreading at an "alarming rate" nationally continues to proliferate in New York and New Jersey, with cases in both states pacing to set new records in 2023, data shows.
It's caused by Candida auris, a form of yeast usually not harmful to healthy people but that can pose a deadly infection threat to immunocompromised and otherwise vulnerable populations. It spreads easily and can infect wounds, ears and the bloodstream. Some strains are so-called superbugs, which don't respond to any available antibiotics.
The CDC describes it as an "emerging" fungus that "presents a serious global health threat" for three primary reasons: Candida auris is often multidrug-resistant (some strains don't respond to any of the three available antifungal drugs); it's easily misidentified in labs without specific technology, which could impair public health management; and it has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings, which are of particular concern given their more at-risk populations.
While the number of U.S. cases of Candida auris tripled between 2020 and 2022, few states have seen such rampant spread as New York, where a 2013 case was retroactively identified as America's first, and New Jersey.
The two states accounted for nearly a fifth of all U.S. candida auris cases last year, CDC data shows. Federal data only covers the period ending Dec. 31, 2022, so there's not yet a comparative reference point for 2023.
That said, New York is pacing to beat 2022's decade-long record of 379 clinical cases in a year. The Big Apple's 105 clinical cases confirmed as of April 21, 2023, is 28% of the total from last year -- with seven months left to go in 2023. A March 22 update had 72 clinical cases, so the new data marks an increase of 46% in cases in the last month.
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New York Candida Auris Cases by Year
Most of the cases have been found in facilities in the New York City area, though some have been from outside the metropolitan area.
| Year | Number of Clinical Cases | Number of Surveillance Cases |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 26 | 11 |
| 2017 | 99 | 128 |
| 2018 | 158 | 254 |
| 2019 | 178 | 306 |
| 2020 | 250 | 200 |
| 2021 | 291 | 348 |
| 2022 | 379 | 498 |
| *2023 | 105 | 177 |
| Total* | 1487 | 1922 |
New Jersey Candida Auris Case Trends
New Jersey has already blown past the 2022 total provided by the CDC, which is three times lower than the state's own data. Using New Jersey health department data, the current 127 Candida auris cases for this year (as of April 1) are 34% of last year's total. Again, there's a lot of year left to go. And recent trends indicate cases will keep climbing.
Both states saw their numbers increase dramatically over the last few years, and CDC researchers say the COVID-19 pandemic is likely at least partly to blame. Hospital workers were strained by COVID patients, and that likely shifted their focus away from disinfecting some other kinds of germs, they said.
Candida auris was first identified in Japan in 2009 and has been seen in more and more countries. Many of the first U.S. cases came from abroad, but most cases now spread within the country, officials say.
The fungus can survive on surfaces in healthcare locations, where it can spread between patients. Doctors have also detected it on the skin of thousands of other patients, making them a transmission risk. Those with multiple co-morbidities and who require a machine to breathe are at heightened risk if they catch the infection, health officials say.
Learn more about New York's response here and get CDC information for patients and family members, as well as tips on prevention, symptoms to look for and more, right here. New Jersey Candida auris information can be found here.
