(WRBL) — Over the last year, there have been six fungus cases that pose “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat” reported across Alabama, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC reports that Candida auris, also known as C. auris, may pose a risk to those who are “very sick, have invasive medical devices, or have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities.” C. auris is generally not a threat to healthy people, the CDC states.

According to the center, the fungus is an antimicrobial resistance threat due to it’s drug resistance nature, along with it’s ability to spread easily in healthcare facilities and “cause severe infections with high death rates.”

The center says the fungus was first detected in the U.S. in 2016, although it began to “spread at an alarming rate” in health care facilities between 2020 2021.

In the surrounding states, Georgia is facing 12 cases, Mississippi has had five and Florida reportedly has had 349 cases.

Officials say more than 8,000 cases of the fungus were found across 28 states and Washington D.C. by the end of 2022.

A chart of case numbers by state can be found below:

More information can be found on the CDC website.