According to the State Department of Health and Human Services, five cases of a multi-drug-resistant fungus have been reported in North Carolina since February.Candida Auris spreads easily in health care settings and can cause invasive infections that can sometimes be fatal. Top StoriesGreensboro police: Missing 9-month-old boy found safe, father in custody also connected to deadly shootingUS launches airstrikes in Syria after drone kills US workerPresident Joe Biden scheduled to visit North CarolinaGet the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning this week about the increase in cases across the country."We started to worry about it four to five years ago," Wake Forest University School of Medicine's Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Christopher Ohl said. "Because we started to see it infecting patients usually in health care settings."Ohl says the multi-drug-resistant fungus is most commonly spread through health care workers and caretakers. "And it's on their hands – so if people aren't appropriately washing their hands, it can go from person to person," Ohl said.According to health officials, Candida Auris isn't a threat to healthy people, but more so to people who are extremely sick with invasive medical devices, like ventilators, or people with long or frequent stays in health care facilities."It really isn't an infection we see out in the community or in schools or churches or workplaces," Ohl said. "And even in health care settings, it's usually in areas where we take care of people with very prolonged illnesses."According to NC DHHS, five cases have been reported in North Carolina since February."The pandemic didn't help with Candida Auris because more people were in hospitals and more people were spending longer times in intensive care units," Ohl said. "And more people have been having underlying problems because of their COVID, and this is the type of person who tends to get Candida Auris infections."Ohl says people shouldn't avoid seeking medical care."People shouldn't be afraid to go to the hospital," Ohl said. "Or if you have a loved one who needs to go to a nursing home, you shouldn't be fearful of Candida Auris, because in health care, we know what to do about it and how to keep it from spreading."While there have been a few cases reported across the state, there haven't been any known cases in the Piedmont Triad.State health officials are working closely with health care facilities to detect and prevent the spread of Candida Auris. Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsNAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We LoveTRENDING STORIESKeep up with local news, weather, and current events with the WXII app here