Potentially Deadly, Drug-Resistant Fungus Spreads In NJ: What To Know

A drug-resistant fungus called Candida auris is spreading through hospitals and nursing homes across New Jersey and 26 other states, with 55 cases reported in NJ as of late July. The CDC warns it can cause severe bloodstream infections with estimated mortality rates of 30 to 60 percent, though most of those affected are already seriously ill patients with medical devices like catheters or breathing tubes. Healthy people face little risk, and most infections can still be treated with a class of antifungal drugs called echinocandins.