There has been an outbreak of a dangerous, drug-resistant fungus among patients in New Jersey healthcare facilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported.
Candida Auris -- most common in hospitals and nursing homes -- has been found in more than 100 people in New Jersey, with another 22 infections suspected.
New York has seen more than 300 cases, while there have been 144 cases in Illinois, most in Chicago. The overwhelming majority of cases in the United States have been in these three states, according to CDC figures.
The CDC believes the fungus was introduced to the United States by a traveller from a part of the world where it's prevalent.
The spread of the fungus has been called a "serious global health threat" by the CDC. People who have been in nursing homes and who have been placed on catheters, feeding tubes or other lines into the body seem to be especially prone to infection.
The fungus, which can be difficult to detect, was discovered in 2009 in Japan. It can cause infections in the bloodstream, as well as wound and ear infections. The fungus in some cases can be fatal, the CDC also reported.
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