Show 1192: How a Scary Fungus-Candida auris-Is Threatening the World

You may have heard about antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They can greatly complicate the treatment of infections. But have you ever heard of antifungal-resistant fungus? Infectious disease experts knew nothing about a scary fungus, Candida auris, in 2008. But in less than two decades this dangerous fungal infection is making waves around the world. It has acquired resistance to a number of potent antifungal medications. Consequently, it now poses threats of hard-to-treat infections in many corners of the globe.

At last count, 27 states in the US have reported cases. We first reported on this serious fungal infection in 2019. At that time it seemed worrisome, but not widespread. Now, thousands of people have been infected over the last eight months. The CDC consider this scary fungus an “urgent threat.”

Why is Candida Auris Making Headlines This week?

We scan a variety of sources for our People’s Pharmacy “Health Headlines” newsletter. There are an amazing number of scary stories showing up around the country.

The headlines from Forbes (June 30, 2026) really caught our eye:

“A Drug-Resistant Fungus Is Spreading Through American Hospitals”

“Candida auris, a drug-resistant yeast, saw clinical infections more than double from 2022 to 2024, reaching 6,197 cases. This fungus primarily threatens immunocompromised patients, resisting common antifungal treatments.”

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco describe in the journal Science, (August 6, 2026) why it is so hard to get rid of this infection once it has set up house keeping on a patient’s skin. When the fungus gets into and around hair follicles, it creates a kind of nest that protects it from an attack by our immune system.

Once it is embedded, Candida auris can be extremely hard to eradicate. That’s true in hospital environments as well in a personal environment, such as a hair follicle.

Most healthcare professionals believe that the problem exists primarily within nursing homes. Older people, who are immune compromised, are especially vulnerable. But millions of Americans are immunosuppressed. Many may not even realize they are at risk.

What Is

New York Times journalist Matt Richtel was looking for a suitable topic for a series of in-depth reports. When he asked the experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they suggested he investigate Candida auris.  They were more worried about this scary fungus than about most other health problems, and when you listen to his story, we think you will be, too!

Candida auris was first identified in the ear of a Japanese woman almost two decades ago. It wasn’t making her sick. Nonetheless, before long infectious disease experts started finding people who were very sick with this fungus. Because several strains have developed resistance to multiple common antifungal medications, the infections can be quite difficult to treat.

Who Is at High Risk?

People whose immune systems are compromised seem to be at highest risk. That includes the elderly, especially those living in nursing homes. However, millions of people taking medications that can suppress their immune systems are also in danger. These are drugs used to treat autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease or plaque psoriasis. What actions do we need to take to protect them? With the development of antifungal resistance, simple surgical procedures could pose life-threatening risks.

This Week’s Guest:

Matt Richtel is a reporter at the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting with a series of articles he expanded into his first nonfiction book. Ultimately, it became a New York Times bestseller, A Deadly Wandering.
Matt Richtel’s latest book is An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives. His website is www.MattRichtel.com/ You can find his series on Candida auris at The New York Times.

The photograph of Matt Richtel is by Simona Deac.

Listen to the Podcast:

The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.

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You can also listen to the streaming audio by scrolling to the top of the page and clicking on the arrow under Matt Richtel’s photograph.

Perhaps the best option would be to download the podcast from Apple at this link. That way you can listen at your leisure. I promise you that this is a memorable interview that you do not want to miss. And remember, The People’s Pharmacy was informing you of this threat years before most people had even heard of this scary fungus.