Highlights
- Arizona recorded 171 Candida auris cases year-to-date in 2026, up from 133 in the same period of 2025.
- The drug-resistant yeast spreads in healthcare settings including hospitals and nursing homes and can be life-threatening.
- Nationally, 3,437 cases have been reported across 26 states as of July 25, 2026, per CDC tracking data.
- The CDC recommends patient screening, frequent handwashing, and isolating infected patients to contain spread.
Arizona has recorded 171 cases of Candida auris year-to-date in 2026, up from 133 cases during the same period in 2025, a nearly 30% increase, according to new CDC data reported by Arizona's Family and corroborated by USA Today and Newsweek.
The fungus is a drug-resistant yeast that spreads quickly among patients in healthcare settings such as nursing homes, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Not everyone infected will show symptoms; those who do may experience fever and chills. In more serious cases, the infection can enter the bloodstream, making it potentially life-threatening.
As of July 25, 2026, the CDC has logged 3,437 reported cases nationally across 26 states, with Arizona among them. The agency reported there were 6,304 clinical cases in 2024 compared to only 48 cases in 2016, reflecting a sharp climb over the past decade.
What can healthcare facilities do to stop the spread?
The CDC advises screening patients for C. auris since some people may carry the fungus without showing symptoms. Additional recommended steps include washing hands frequently with alcohol-based hand sanitizer, cleaning infected patients' rooms often with special disinfectants, keeping infected patients in separate rooms from those at risk, and wearing gloves and gowns when delivering care.
Arizona health administrators and facility operators should expect continued CDC scrutiny as case counts climb heading into fall.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 07/08/2026 12:15
- usatoday.com retrieved 07/08/2026 12:15
- newsweek.com retrieved 07/08/2026 12:15
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 07/08/2026 12:15. Every claim traces to a source.
