Thousands of clinical cases involving a potentially deadly, drug resistant fungus have been reported across 27 states this year, according to provisional data from the CDC. The figures document the continued spread of Candida auris in healthcare settings across the country.

As of the week ending July 25, the United States had documented 3,437 clinical cases of Candida auris so far in 2026. The fungus is also known as C. auris.

California accounts for 873 cases, representing roughly one quarter of the national total. Texas has recorded 433 cases, while Tennessee has 283 and Ohio has 279.

Georgia has reported 193 cases, followed by Louisiana with 179. Illinois and Arizona each have 171 cases, while Michigan has 146, Virginia has 132 and Pennsylvania has 121.

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The remaining affected states have each reported fewer than 100 cases. However, clinical cases do not necessarily mean that patients have developed infections.

The CDC defines a clinical case as the detection of C. auris in a specimen collected during the normal course of medical care. Some specimens may come from areas where the fungus represents colonization rather than an actual infection.

Candida auris is a type of yeast that can cause serious infections, particularly in hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare settings. Its health effects can range from colonization without symptoms to potentially deadly invasive infections, including bloodstream infections.

The fungus can remain on surfaces for prolonged periods. According to the CDC, it is "highly transmissible between patients through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects."

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Contaminated bedrails, doorknobs and shared medical equipment can contribute to its spread. People who carry the fungus without showing symptoms can also transmit it, a condition known as colonization.

Patients with severe underlying medical conditions face the greatest risk of infection. People who use breathing tubes, feeding tubes, IVs or catheters are particularly vulnerable, as are those who are hospitalized frequently or remain in hospitals for long periods.

People without those risk factors are unlikely to become colonized with C. auris or develop an infection. The threat is therefore concentrated largely among patients who are already medically vulnerable.

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone, said he considers C. auris an "emerging problem of great concern." He noted that the fungus can resist multiple antifungal drugs and spread on equipment used in hospital settings.

"Unfortunately, symptoms such as fever, chills and aches may be ubiquitous, and it can be mistaken for other infections," Siegel previously told Fox News Digital. That overlap can make the fungus difficult to distinguish from other infections based on symptoms alone.

Invasive C. auris infections have been associated with mortality rates ranging from 30% to 72%. However, most affected patients are already seriously ill, making it difficult to determine how often the fungus is the direct cause of death.

Treatment can also be challenging because C. auris is often resistant to antifungal medications. The CDC classifies the fungus as an urgent threat involving antimicrobial resistance.

More than 90% of samples in the United States are resistant to fluconazole, a common antifungal treatment. Echinocandins are currently the main treatment option, although some strains resist all three main classes of antifungals.

Siegel said "Major research" is underway to develop new treatments. He also cautioned that C. auris is part of a broader problem involving emerging resistance in the United States and around the world.

At the same time, Siegel said sterilization and disinfection measures in hospitals can be very helpful. The CDC data remain provisional as officials continue documenting clinical cases across affected states.