# Drug-resistant fungus on the rise in Tennessee: Here’s who’s most at risk

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-08-04 17:07 UTC · Category: Health

## Executive Summary
A deadly drug-resistant fungal superbug has spread to 23 states, prompting urgent warnings from health officials across multiple outlets.

## Intelligence Brief
Recent reporting indicates that a potentially deadly, drug-resistant fungus has been detected across twenty-three states, with cases specifically on the rise in Tennessee and other southern United States hotspots. Outlets including ABC7 Chicago, wkrn.com, NCHStats, NTD News, People.com, 97.3 The Dawg, the-sun.com, Healthline, The Hill, and WKRN News 2 have covered the unfolding health situation involving the fungal pathogen. According to the available news coverage, the organism is described by some sources as a fungal superbug and is characterized as nearly impossible to treat, with certain reports noting a high mortality rate and comparing its threat level to fictional depictions such as those in The Last of Us. Coverage does not yet specify the exact total number of patients infected nationwide, though sources mention thousands of cases reported and identify specific regions where health officials are actively confirming new infections. Media attention has intensified following the release of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks the spread of the pathogen.


Outlets such as The Hill, Healthline, and ABC7 Chicago emphasize the geographic reach of the outbreak, detailing how the fungus has expanded its footprint into multiple states beyond initial southern hotspots like Louisiana and Tennessee. WKRN News 2 and wkrn.com focus specifically on the local implications for Tennessee residents, highlighting the demographic groups and individuals who face the highest risk of contracting the infection. Meanwhile, reports from People.com and the-sun.com underscore the severe clinical challenges posed by the pathogen's complete resistance to standard pharmaceutical treatments. Context provided across the reporting highlights the growing public health concern surrounding antimicrobial and antifungal resistance on a national scale. Health officials and reporting sources stress that the fungus targets vulnerable populations, though comprehensive details regarding specific transmission vectors and individual patient trajectories remain sparse in the current headline data.


Readers are directed by various outlets to understand who is most at risk and where the highest concentrations of the deadly fungus are currently located. As the situation develops, coverage suggests monitoring further updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments regarding additional state confirmations and containment strategies. Observers will be tracking whether federal or local agencies release updated case counts, revised risk assessments, or new clinical guidelines for managing infections that defy standard medical treatments. Coverage does not yet specify what preventative measures or therapeutic interventions health authorities will recommend next, leaving open questions about how medical providers intend to combat the continued spread of the fungal superbug across the affected states.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| ABC7 Chicago | Cases of potentially deadly fungus detected in 23 states, CDC data shows. What to know | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNeDJKOHJ2dkVXbEgyLVlfcW41VXFTSkxpNGxsdzhodVFBLVBKSkRVaVlRbTNQUVB3X2xmQVc4b1FDbnRLb2x5eDRmQ0c5Vll5YUQ1NGtQTFlicTlHUUVjMVBCS25lODBkTnQtUjg4U1g5X1dDeHZxV3lPejVpWGw1UG92WHQ3OWZ2QUJ6a1dFLTNuSjFsejFTUl9uWVBHWDJGUVdFM3ZjYm9wZWstaVVsWmg2MjVHZw?oc=5) |
| wkrn.com | Drug-resistant fungus on the rise in Tennessee: Here’s who’s most at risk | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQcVprLS1BNFViUUNFZ0tpcmNpaTMyXzI5YlpKSWhNU2hXY29waThnaUFwdVEwVTQ2eHhkQkswZkZTeV9VdEVaZmZUVFY0ME1KeDNTaE1CbmNES1o5V014bzZORzFYWjFIVElhSktJZEtMUE9iYWp0N0dFZXNKanBNck5YUjVNSTVpeHhyYWc3ZDExTUJHZnVocFVrcF9Ib2RrQzdMV2RsV0hlb1FoelY5dmdB?oc=5) |
| NCHStats | Deadly Fungus Outbreak Reaches 23 States, With Thousands of Cases Reported | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiV0FVX3lxTFAwdWFaX3NNZGZlcktkalU0dW83WXBGUi1iaVlUSmstejJZNmplRlJPdndHVjFBeFBaaExMWGVWZnMzZjJMemVYbFMwV3VvXzExNEtOWDN3aw?oc=5) |
| NTD News | Fungal 'Superbug' is on the Rise in Southern US Hotspots | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxNMno5Q3pibEUxZkNKSkNFeGpUTGk5cnVLN0tBczJsRU8yOHhYblU0RGJoLUphWGprQ1BqcHJkaW56SzZVelpSWUxmX3pRZFZMUl9KdGdqVjN0Qk4xZGRrejFWY3Rhb3JfdHpCejRBQkpxeHBPZW9NRk1XcmJTYUlqTk1GMVA2Q3R6MEhBU1VaRzc?oc=5) |
| People.com | Deadly Fungus Confirmed in 23 States. It’s Nearly Impossible to Treat | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxNS2VybHpxQXdRa0JtdUVSRURIS09YaEVXbE1TMVRva3VyM29kNEpjbDNoZXl2Yk9ZOHloR0VuS2dPNUxLejNQVXNRQ0VWMC1SaXh1aEMzZWQxN1pucGE3TGprNTNTRzBnTnRWVVg4cVFnN0VFWlF4eTQzRmZwMFc1Sm8wdUllbVp3VWNtdTZtV2I2M0p4LS1NeFhqbzM2Vk9hNHVQLVZ0MjVqNVVJcC1yZUhDcC0tVjJPT2NEQg?oc=5) |
| 97.3 The Dawg | Louisiana Health Officials Confirm More Cases of Fungal Super Bug | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib0FVX3lxTE9QNkpldkd1dDJxV1ZpcmREZWdSXzIxX0M5RDhVMXdQVzA5Zm1ZRk50ODBodWtYN2wxYk44RDh2OTNpMzQxazlJX3pVU2F1enM2Q3ZVWWU4enYtTjlCVDZOMTEzSGNIRGoxY0xqVmIzZw?oc=5) |
| the-sun.com | 'Last of Us' fungus with 60% mortality rate spreads to 23 states with patients warned it is completely drug-resistant | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxPVTQwNHlwNkFYVjNXVFpPNGhHWDgxS3lhRjVTUlh2VjdlQklpanhCYmp6OG1KZFpqdVJQeHU0RUZZN3JXLWgtMF8xd0xTTU85WjlISm9ER2ZxcExYSzFjRHhOWFljT3BtU0tDcDlPbmNncGM4aGlzdTZrSzNXN2c2UU9GRlo1eWZ5cUpkQ3ozdFdWX3UwVk15cw?oc=5) |
| Healthline | Drug-Resistant ‘Superbug’ Confirmed in 23 States: Should You Worry? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxNb210bTc5RWtOSzNKc2hQX08tdkxZZ29iRHc1NEM4Y0ZZMUp6NnI4VmNnVEtKRzRlMFdHb0tnUUt5Ry16a3FYaHRxNWZ3YW55ZHA3OWNCR3diYUMxQnBNY2Z1emhnTmptclRyMEpOdjl5UWNYT19uOEh1UlRXRGlGazB5YjI0cXUwVkNGY1p3Yw?oc=5) |
| The Hill | Superbug confirmed in 23 states: Where is the deadly fungus spreading in 2026? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxPRnozSkRrbmRVaFZKWDh4djI5b0Q4YnpvSWRUN2Roc3oyaUQ1aVc1SlllbHBQZTRCcDFZNmdwTmVwZE9oSlNkUUpfZjhfLUlKVXBxR2o3YmlvMW5qdmF2UU1KZXBlTDMxbDlZcmhxUDJTMnZyV3FDMUF0T0hlV0FZSnFLU0R3TmNJQVVIRkQtNXA0VGZJZ2h1NjZsTTJZWk9IdXZUUkFpanJjSVlOMjJHOHhCY1BBTzZiNHprdjVLUErSAcYBQVVfeXFMUEMtamNuVlhtWHh2N1RIMktnRnQ2M1NLZGIweTZKUnd4Q08tYzM3UWtjbTNHaWlhd2NrR0xuRGNCcXlqRFhCV3RfMXd2Ym52ZVZjYXlqZk1WVUpPQjFESVFqRkxhOFd4T0dKMFhuMTlHT1o4MC1ob0phcXBTVFFhQWMwOE5KbGVkNFJMNUpSc2FLYmR) |
| WKRN News 2 | Drug-resistant fungus on the rise in Tennessee: Here’s who’s most at risk | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQcVprLS1BNFViUUNFZ0tpcmNpaTMyXzI5YlpKSWhNU2hXY29waThnaUFwdVEwVTQ2eHhkQkswZkZTeV9VdEVaZmZUVFY0ME1KeDNTaE1CbmNES1o5V014bzZORzFYWjFIVElhSktJZEtMUE9iYWp0N0dFZXNKanBNck5YUjVNSTVpeHhyYWc3ZDExTUJHZnVocFVrcF9Ib2RrQzdMV2RsV0hlb1FoelY5dmdB0gG3AUFVX3lxTE1Pc0pRZDZ2cDBYbEdNQmsxNnc3OXFUd05TbVhOWlBzS1BWME9VZkVsNnh0QWt2UmQ4QnNRQTA0R2dYRG1RYTlmbEpvRzRCWG15OHk2bUZXb2VCTXlseW9TOGJNbFZ4R1FzVmw5TFkzZk5WOGc3dk5fbnAxVzFqLVIycE1jX2NFajU5Uk5jcmh5M1R0VnJQR2tocmZ0ME5YREd) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-08-04/drug-resistant-fungus-on-the-rise-in-tennessee-here-s-who-s-most-at-risk*