Illinois Becoming a Hotspot for Deadly Drug-Resistant Superbug

There's no cause for real alarm yet, but there is reason for an abundance of caution. There's a new drug-resistant superbug that's making it's way across the United States and a new map shows Illinois is becoming a hotspot.

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Live Science shared the news a few days ago about a 'superbug' known as Candida auris. It's a fungus that leads to an infection that is resistant to antibiotics and other treatments. The article says this bug "occurs most often in healthcare settings and long-term care facilities". The good news is it's rare for healthy individuals to be adversely affected by it. However, if you have a weakened immune system, it often is fatal. 

The CDC has a tracking map showing the states where this new superbug is being reported and Illinois has a whopping 276 reported cases according to the data that was shared.

This superbug has some troubling characteristics. First of all, some strains are resistant to ALL antibiotics and treatments. Second, the CDC says it's hard to detect and can go misidentified during lab tests. That means it can be spreading in an area long before authorities realize there's an outbreak.

To emphasize again, this is not an infection that normally affects the healthy and there are no public health alerts at this time. It's just something to be aware of especially if you have family in long-term care facilities or if you or someone you know has a weaker than usual immune system.