Dangerous Drug-Resistant Fungus Spreads To North Dakota

A dangerous, drug-resistant fungus has now been detected in North Dakota as part of a nationwide spread that's put more than two dozen states on alert. According to Newsweek and The Hill, North Dakota has 4 confirmed cases of the Candida auris fungus.

The data was updated last month, (July 2026) and it shows on the map that North Dakota is among the states with reported Candida auris cases. Nationally, this is a much bigger issue; the CDC has confirmed 3,437 clinical cases across 27 states. The most affected states include: California, Texas, and Tennessee.

What is Candida Auris

Candida Auris is a type of yeast, and it's not picky about where it hangs out - bedrails, doorknobs, medical equipment, you name it. Unfortunately, this fungus can cause severe illness and spreads easily among very sick patients in healthcare facilities. It can present in many different ways and cause infection in different parts of the body such as ears, blood, and wounds. And here's the unsettling part: many carry it without ever getting sick. The CDC says many individuals can pass it without even knowing it's there. Officials call it "colonization."

When it does eventually turn into an actual infection, it shows up in the bloodstream and is resistant to fluconazole. This is one of the most common antifungal drugs. The sources say that some strains resist nearly every antifungal option available, which is scary when these types of invasive infections have mortality rates between 30 and 72% of patients who are already critically ill.

With that in mind, healthy North Dakotans aren't considered at meaningful risk. The people who need to pay attention are those with breathing tubes, feeding tubes, catheters or IVs, or anyone who's spent extended time in a hospital or care facility.