Mixed Candida species growing on ChromID Candida 2 Agar (Representational image)|Nathan Reading|CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

A deadly, drug-resistant fungus has been spreading through US health facilities. The number of cases has been growing at an alarming rate since it was first reported in 2016, the CDC said yesterday.

The fungus, Candida auris, is a type of yeast.

The warning comes at a time when Mississippi is fighting a growing outbreak of the fungus. It is especially dangerous to people with weakened immune systems.