First Outbreak of Deadly Fungal Infection Confirmed in Washington State, Officials Say

Candida auris was first identified in 2009 in Japan and is resistant to many anti-fungal drugs.

This undated photo made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a strain of Candida auris cultured in a petri dish at a CDC laboratory. The Canadian Press/Shawn Lockhart-CDC via AP

Authorities in Washington state confirmed an outbreak of a deadly fungal infection that has been on the rise across the United States in recent years.

Officials in King County, Washington, said in a statement on Tuesday that an outbreak involving three patients infected by Candida auris, or C. auris, was reported at Kindred Hospital in Seattle beginning in mid-January. Another case was detected on Jan. 26 at a nursing home in nearby Snohomish County, officials said.