Staying safe from the antibiotic-resistant fungus spreading in healthcare facilities
Cases of Candida auris have doubled between 2022 and 2024, says UCI Health infectious disease expert
IN THE NEWS: Positive cases for the antibiotic-resistant fungus known as Candida auris, which primarily spreads in healthcare facilities, have doubled between 2022 and 2024, says Dr. Susan Huang, medical director of UCI Health Epidemiology and Infection Prevention.
She recently spoke to Healthline about the growing national problem and what she wants people to know about protecting themselves and vulnerable loved ones from the deadly pathogen.
Medical professionals, she says, should wear personal protective equipment when treating a person with the condition, even if they’re not seriously ill. The patient should be isolated in a private room to prevent contact with others.
“[Candida auris] is known to rapidly spread in both hospitals and nursing homes, which is why many public health departments are working with these facilities to report cases and perform screening.”
Prevention of this and other antibiotic-resistant pathogens comes down to good hygiene practices.
“Nevertheless, the best way to prevent antibiotic-resistant pathogens from spreading further is to ensure that proper hand hygiene is practiced whenever visiting a healthcare setting or when helping a loved one with a wound or medical device at home.”
Anyone who suspects they have been infected should be screened by a doctor right away and take their medications as prescribed.
Huang is among the nation’s leading clinicians and researchers in the field of infection prevention and combating multidrug-resistant organisms. She is responsible for developing infection prevention protocols to protect patients that have been implemented nationwide. In 2025, she earned the Lifetime Achievement Award for her transformative infection prevention research and leadership at the Greater Irvine Chamber Excellence in Healthcare & Innovation Awards.
Huang’s clinical interests include antimicrobial resistance, multidrug-resistant organisms, decolonization and healthcare epidemiology. She is the Chancellor's Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
About UCI Health
UCI Health is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, its newest facility, UCI Health –– Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.