As an infectious diseases doctor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, I’ve been watching the spread of Candida auris with great concern. This fungus can cause serious infection, pain, suffering, and even death — and people with weak immune systems are at particularly high risk. It has caused outbreaks in health care facilities across the country. We saw 61 cases in New Jersey last year — more than in more populous states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas. More than 1,000 cases were reported nationwide. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, that may not sound like much, but Candida auris is on the rise. There were no cases before 2009 and, in recent years, it has been noted to be highly resistant to antifungal drugs. In many instances, there are few therapies left that can successfully treat it, and some strains are resistant to all available treatments. To read the full story.