The Spread of Deadly Drug-Resistant Fungus in the US and Canada.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified Candida auris as an "urgent" threat as it spreads rapidly through U.S. hospitals, tripling in just three years. The fungus is spreading "at an alarming rate," the CDC says, but how exactly is it spreading? Candida auris is especially good at developing on surfaces and is most likely to infect a patient through a medical device, like a catheter or a PICC line that delivers medicine or fluids straight into the bloodstream. The fungus can also enter somebody's system through ears or wounds. It is resistant to anti-fungal drugs, making it hard to treat, and can cause severe illness or death.