First Cases of New Superbug Spotted in U.S.

The drug-resistant fungus is often fatal and can be difficult to identify

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scientificamerican.com - by Sharon Begley - November 4, 2016

Just five months after federal health officials asked hospitals and physicians to be on the lookout for an often-fatal, antibiotic-resistant fungus called Candida auris, 13 cases have been reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. It is the first time that the fungus, which is easily misidentified in lab tests as a more common candida yeast infection, has been found in the US, and four of the first seven patients with it have died.

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