The discovery could lead to new treatments that can clear the fungus from our skin before it becomes a life-threatening problem, the researchers say. The resistant, deadly fungusDoctors in Japan first discovered C. auris inside a person’s ear in 2009. Another insidious feature of C. auris is its ability to easily colonize the skin of healthy people, something that isn’t normally seen with other Candida species. That said, though still rare in general, annual C. auris infections have steadily climbed. “Understanding these adaptations gives us new potential targets for developing better ways to clear C. auris from the skin and prevent its spread,” said Merill.