Drug-resistant superbug found at 7 Long Island hospitals, 10 nursing homes

State health officials say drug-resistant “superbugs” found at medical facilities across the state and on Long Island are “dangerous and contagious.”

The latest superbug to hit the United States is called Candida auris, or C. auris – a deadly fungus. According to the state Health Department, it's been discovered at 64 hospitals and 103 nursing homes across the state. Seven of those hospitals and 10 of those nursing homes are on Long Island.

Of the more than 800 confirmed cases of C. auris infection so far in the US, nearly 400 are in New York.

Some hospital groups are concerned about the potential impact the list may have on patients and families.

The Greater New York Hospital Association released a statement saying, "While we have some reservations about hospitals being named, the hospital community is committed to doing everything we can to eliminate C. auris."

It also released a five-minute training video on how to clean a room where a patient had been treated.

In a statement, Stony Brook University Hospital says, "Stony Brook University Hospital has treated one patient who was admitted earlier this year with Candida auris. Our clinical teams utilize key infection prevention measures, adhere to standard precautions and follow all recommended CDC guidelines. These include good hand hygiene, the proper selection, use, and disposal of personal protective equipment, and appropriate and effective environmental cleaning and disinfection with a sporicidal or bleach-based products."