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Clinical cases of Candida auris, an emerging fungus considered an urgent threat, nearly doubled in 2021, according to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There was also a tripling of the number of cases resistant to echinocandins, the first-line treatment for Candida auris infections. (Chavez, 3/20)

Over the course of 2021, state and local health departments around the country reported 1,474 clinical cases, about a 200 percent increase from the nearly 500 cases in 2019. The surge represents a “dramatic increase” in caseload and transmission of C. auris, according to a research paper published Monday in the Annals of Medicine and compiled by researchers at the C.D.C. The fungus is now in half the 50 states, many with just a handful of cases, but with higher concentrations in California, Nevada, Texas and Florida. (Richtel, 3/20)

About 30% to 60% of infected people have died from the yeast, though that is "based on information from a limited number of patients," the CDC said. "The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control," CDC epidemiologist Dr. Meghan Lyman said. (Archie, 3/21)

Candida auris (C. auris) was first described in Japan in 2009, with the earliest known infections in the US dating back to 2013. Cases grew exponentially through the end of 2021, according to a paper published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — which says it poses a serious global health threat — noted that a further 2,377 clinical diagnoses and 5,754 cases identified through screening were reported last year. (De Wei, 3/21)