CDC Candida Auris Alert: How to Sign Up for Outbreak Notifications and Check Your Facility's Status

Candida auris (C. auris) is a drug-resistant fungal infection that spreads in healthcare settings — hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. If you or someone you care for is in a healthcare facility, here's how to check whether your state has active cases, sign up for official health alerts, and understand what the CDC's outbreak notifications actually mean.

Reason #5: You Don't Know Where to Check Official C. Auris Data

Unlike food recalls, Candida auris case data isn't listed on a single consumer-facing page. Here's where to find it:

• CDC Candida auris tracking page: cdc.gov/candida-auris/data — updated regularly with case counts by state, year, and resistance type. This is the authoritative national source.
• Your state health department: C. auris is a reportable condition in most states — your state health department publishes facility-level outbreak data when investigations are active. Search "[your state] department of health Candida auris" for the state-specific page.
• CMS Nursing Home Compare: For nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tracks infection control deficiencies at medicare.gov/care-compare — search your facility and check the "Inspections" tab for any recent infection control citations.

Reason #4: You're Not Signed Up for Official Health Alerts

Health agencies don't automatically notify the public about C. auris cases — you have to opt in to their alert systems.

Sign up for CDC Health Alert Network (HAN):

1. Go to emergency.cdc.gov/han → click "Subscribe to HAN" in the right sidebar.
2. Enter your email address and select your notification preferences — the HAN sends official health advisories, alerts, and updates including C. auris outbreak notices.
3. Note: HAN alerts are primarily aimed at healthcare providers and public health officials, but anyone can subscribe. They provide the earliest official notification of emerging outbreaks.

Sign up for your state health department alerts:

1. Search "[your state] health department email alerts" or "[your state] health department outbreak notifications."
2. Most state health departments have a free email or SMS alert subscription — these are more localized than CDC alerts and will notify you of state-specific C. auris activity.

Reason #3: Your Phone Notifications for Health Apps Are Disabled

If you've installed a state health app or the CDC's app and aren't receiving alerts, notifications may be disabled.

Fix on iPhone:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → find your health app (CDC, state health department app).
2. Enable Allow Notifications → Alerts → Sounds.
3. Enable Time Sensitive Notifications — this allows health alerts to bypass Focus modes like Do Not Disturb.

Fix on Android:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → [Health App] → Notifications → enable all categories.
2. Go to Settings → Apps → [Health App] → Battery → set to Unrestricted — Android's battery optimization kills background processes and can prevent health alerts from arriving.

Reason #2: You're Looking for Facility-Level Data That Isn't Publicly Listed

C. auris case data at the individual facility level is often not publicly disclosed by name — states and CDC typically report by county or region to protect facility operations and patient privacy.

How to get facility-specific information:

• Ask the facility directly: Healthcare facilities are required to have infection control programs and must inform patients and families of relevant infection risks. Ask the charge nurse or infection control officer whether C. auris has been identified in the facility.
• Check CMS inspection records: At medicare.gov/care-compare, search your facility → Inspections tab → look for any deficiency tagged under "Infection Control" in recent inspection reports. F-tags F880 and F881 specifically cover infection control programs.
• Contact your state health department: If you have reason to believe a specific facility has an active outbreak, your state health department's epidemiology division handles public inquiries. The contact is on your state's health department website.

Reason #1: Misunderstanding What "CDC Alert" Means for C. Auris

The CDC does not issue consumer-facing push alerts for C. auris the way they do for food recalls. Instead, C. auris information flows through three channels:

1. Health Alert Network (HAN) notices — sent to public health officials and subscribed healthcare providers when new resistance patterns or outbreak clusters are identified nationally.
2. State health department outbreak investigations — when a cluster is detected in a facility, the state notifies the facility and conducts an investigation. Public notices follow if the outbreak cannot be contained.
3. CMS enforcement actions — if a facility repeatedly fails infection control inspections related to C. auris or similar pathogens, CMS can issue public citations and fines visible on the Care Compare website.

If you want the earliest possible notification of C. auris activity at the national level: subscribe to the CDC HAN at emergency.cdc.gov/han. For state-level activity: subscribe to your state health department's alert system.

What to Do If You or a Family Member Is in an Affected Facility

• Ask about the facility's C. auris screening protocol — healthcare facilities in high-prevalence areas often screen new admissions. Ask the infection control officer whether screening is done on admission.
• Hand hygiene is the most effective personal prevention: C. auris spreads primarily through contact with contaminated surfaces and hands. Wash hands before and after any contact with medical equipment or a patient in a healthcare setting.
• C. auris is not a risk to healthy individuals outside healthcare settings — it primarily affects people with serious underlying health conditions, invasive medical devices (catheters, ventilators), or compromised immune systems. Community transmission is extremely rare.
• For confirmed cases: The CDC's clinical guidance for treatment is at cdc.gov/candida-auris/hcp — share this with treating physicians if needed.

Bottom Line

C. auris outbreak data is available at cdc.gov/candida-auris/data (national) and your state health department's website (local), but it's not delivered through consumer push alerts by default. The fastest way to get early notification is to subscribe to the CDC's Health Alert Network at emergency.cdc.gov/han and your state health department's alert email list — both are free. For facility-specific information, CMS Care Compare (medicare.gov/care-compare) shows recent infection control inspection records, and asking the facility's infection control officer directly is the most reliable way to get current status.

Looking for C. auris data in a specific state or facility type? Drop it in the comments and we'll point you to the right state resource.