CLEVELAND — A rapidly-spreading fungus that is killing at least a third of the people it infects has been been reported in nearly half the states in the United States, including Ohio.

The fungus, called Candida Auris, is a form of yeast.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the deadly fungus spreads in places like hospitals and medical facilities.

Those who are most prone to becoming infected by the fungus, the CDC said, are those who are ill or have weakened immune systems.

The fungus kills 30-60% of the people it infects, according to the CDC.

“Many of the organisms are very resistant to the types of therapies that we use,” said Dr. Claudia Hoyen, an infectious disease specialist and director of pediatric infection control at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital.

The fungus was first reported in Ohio in 2020.

Between May 13, 2020 and Nov. 18, 2022, there were 285 reported cases of the fungus, according to the Ohio Disease Reporting System.

“Currently, we’re in the same situation as other parts of the country in terms of we’re starting to see an uptick in the number of patients who have infections,” said Hoyen.

Hoyen said the deadly fungus is especially worrisome not only because of the high mortality rate attached, but also because the fungus is hard to detect.

According to the CDC, the most common symptoms for this fungus are fever and chills that don’t go away after taking antibiotics.

“There are important reasons why we need to be sure that we’re washing her hands, wearing personal protective equipment,” said Hoyen. “This is an all-hands-on-deck scenario, and we need to make sure that we’re not spreading these types of organisms around.”