Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is urging the CDC to declare an emergency over Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus that is spreading globally, reports the New York Daily News.
Mr. Schumer said an emergency declaration would give states more resources to identify and treat C. auris infections during a May 5 news conference in New York City. Such a declaration could also help limit the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions that are fueling the rise in superbugs.
New York has seen 319 of the 613 cases confirmed in the U.S. as of March 31. Eleven other states have also reported C. auris infections this year, including Illinois (156 cases) and New Jersey (106 cases).
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