Tracking C. auris

At a glance

A total of 6,304 clinical cases of Candida auris (C. auris) were reported to CDC in 2024. C. auris cases continue to rise each year, but the rate of increase has slowed down since 2022.
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Overview

There were 6,304 new clinical cases of C. auris in the United States in 2024. The total number of U.S. clinical cases has increased each year since the first U.S. case was reported in 2016. In recent years, the rate of increase has been slowing down.

Healthcare facilities can help prevent outbreaks by detecting cases early, screening patients, and adhering strongly to recommended infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.

Public health concern

C. auris can be multidrug-resistant and can cause life-threatening illness. It spreads easily in healthcare facilities and mostly affects people who are already very sick. People without risk factors generally do not get infected or colonized with C. auris infection.

Reported clinical case counts

In 2024, the number of reported clinical cases of C. auris increased nationally. Both the number of cases and how they change over time vary by state.

Some geographic areas continue to experience ongoing transmission, and C. auris has spread into new areas. However, recommended infection prevention and control strategies have been successful in preventing spread in some areas, especially when implemented before or at the first detection of C. auris cases.

About the data

State and local health departments submit clinical case count data to CDC. Cases are reported using case definitions determined by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).

Clinical cases are those in patients with C. auris identified in a sample tested to find out the cause of a suspected infection. The sample can be taken from either an invasive body site, such as blood or spinal fluid, or a non-invasive body site, such as urine or wounds.

Screening cases are those in patients who receive a positive C. auris result from a swab collected to test for colonization.

Differences in data presentations

C. auris case counts displayed on this page may differ from other estimates, including those from state and local health department websites or other surveillance systems. Differences in case counts may be due to the types of cases included in totals (clinical, screening, and/or combined counts).

Different sources may also count cases different ways, such as by:

  • Case or specimen
  • Case report date or specimen collection date
  • Patient's residence or location of specimen collection

CDC reports case counts by calculating the number of cases, their corresponding specimen collection data, and location of specimen collection.

How CDC counts cases

The case counts displayed on this page are the number of clinical cases and are displayed based on specimen collection date and location of specimen collection.

Public health partners

CDC collaborates with public health departments, healthcare facilities, and diagnostic laboratories to identify cases and prevent spread.

CDC's Antimicrobial Resistance Lab Network can assist with C. auris identification and screening nationwide. Laboratories should notify their state or local public health departments of cases they identify.

State and local public health authorities should email CandidaAuris@cdc.gov for assistance with:

  • Reporting
  • Surveillance
  • Outbreak prevention and control