Cases of deadly, drug-resistant ‘superbug’ climb in Illinois. Who is at high risk?
A deadly, drug-resistant fungus called Candida auris, or C. auris, has become more common in the U.S. in recent years, and Illinois has already reported 29 cases of the “superbug” so far this year.
Some strains of the fungus, a type of yeast, are referred to as a “superbug” because they are resistant to typical fungal infection treatments.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,893 cases of C. auris statewide in 2025, with another 29 reported from Jan. 1 to Jan. 23 of this year. Case numbers in 2025 increased by more than 19% compared to 2024’s 1,580. These case numbers include clinical and “screening” cases, or cases in those who carry C. auris on their skin or other body parts, but do not have symptoms or infection.
“C. auris can cause bloodstream infections and even death, particularly in hospital patients and nursing home residents with serious medical problems. More than 1 in 3 individuals with invasive C. auris infection (e.g., an infection that affects the blood, heart, or brain) die,” the state health department’s website says.
The fungus can also live on someone’s skin or body without making them sick, and that’s referred to as colonization, IDPH reports. People with active infections or colonization can spread the yeast to someone else, and colonization may also increase the risk of developing an infection.
C. auris can survive on surfaces for a long time, and not all disinfectants can kill it, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency reports the nation saw 10,788 clinical cases of C. auris reported from 2016 to 2023, with cases increasing significantly in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2023, the CDC reported 4,514 C. auris cases, compared to 2,928 in 2022, 1,553 in 2021 and 764 in 2020.
Who is most at risk from the ‘superbug’?
In Illinois and across the nation, people with serious underlying medical conditions and those in nursing homes are most at risk of C. auris infection.
“The majority of cases are among patients currently in or have recently resided in skilled nursing facilities and long-term acute care hospitals,” the IDPH website says. “Healthy people usually don’t get C. auris infections.”
People who have invasive medical devices such as breathing tubes, feeding tubes or catheters are at an increased risk for infection, the CDC reports.
Patients who have been on antibiotics or antifungals for a long time may also be at an increased risk of colonization or infection, the CDC continues, as long-term use of these medications can affect the body’s natural abilities to protect itself.
“People without risk factors generally do not get infected or colonized with C. auris,” the CDC’s website says.
Because C. auris infection is not commonly reported in people without risk factors, federal health officials typically do not recommend screening or testing for family members or health care providers.
State and local health departments do implement infection control practices to reduce transmission of C. auris and other illness-causing organisms, including cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and shared equipment, hand-washing and wearing gloves and gowns, when needed.
Symptoms of C. auris depend on what part of the body is infected, according to IDPH, and the fungus can infect the bloodstream, wounds and urine. Most infections can be treated with echinocandins, a type of antifungal drugs, but some of the infections are resistant to all three main classes of antifungals, the state health department reports.
Note: This story was updated March 5 to correct the total number of C. auris cases reported in Illinois in 2024. The previous figure included only clinical cases.
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This story was originally published February 3, 2026 at 4:45 AM.
