COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — Columbia Fire & Rescue sent a memo last week announcing it will not respond to medical calls from Magnolia HealthCare and Rehabilitation due to infection control concerns involving Candida auris, a dangerous, drug‑resistant fungus.
The March 19 memo, addressed to Maury Regional EMS and the Maury Emergency Communications District, said this temporary change in response protocols is meant to “ensure the safety of personnel and limit potential exposure to a highly transmissible and difficult‑to‑control organism.”
The Candida auris precautions at Magnolia mean fire crews will only respond to fire‑related emergencies — such as fire alarms, structure fires, and other confirmed hazards — until health officials declare conditions safe.
The memo also stated that Maury Regional EMS will ensure uninterrupted medical coverage for the facility. In Maury County, EMS operates separately from the fire department, and during a phone call with NewsChannel 5, EMS officials explained they only bring in fire crews for medical situations when needed.
Candida auris is a form of yeast first identified in Japan about eight to ten years ago, before appearing in other parts of the world and eventually reaching the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the first U.S. case in 2016. Since then, it has spread rapidly — with more than 6,000 cases nationwide in 2024.
Last week, the Tennessee Department of Health confirmed eight active cases and 40 clinical cases in the state so far this year.
Doctors say the fungus primarily infects patients who are already vulnerable — those who are seriously ill, weak, and receiving medical care such as intravenous lines, mechanical ventilation, or antibiotics.
“It likes to prey on very sick people who have intravenous lines, machines helping them breathe, and the like — already being treated with other antibiotics. Given that these people are very frail, Candida auris infection can push them over,” said Dr. William Schaffner, infectious diseases professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr. Schaffner explained that hospitals and nursing homes are the environments where the fungus spreads most easily, particularly among patients receiving intensive care. Unlike other yeast infections, Candida auris is resistant to many antifungal drugs and can survive on surfaces for extended periods — making it difficult to eradicate.
“Candida auris doesn’t produce any distinctive symptoms, but it can make someone very, very ill. It can get into the bloodstream and cause serious infection that permits the blood pressure to drop, and people look very, very ill,” Schaffner said.
Despite its severity, Schaffner emphasized that this is not an infection spreading through the general population.
“If a visitor had gone to that nursing home and interacted with a patient who had Candida auris, they need not be concerned about either becoming ill themselves or spreading it to others — unless they had someone who was frail in their own home,” he said.
Schaffner encouraged healthcare facilities dealing with Candida auris to work closely with the Tennessee Department of Health to contain its spread, and said good hygiene — particularly frequent handwashing — remains the best prevention.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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