A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 13 cases of fatal and drug resistant fungal infection caused by Candida auris have occurred between May 2013 and Aug. 2016.

Six other infected individuals were discovered with the disease after the release of the initial report.

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The report published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report states that authorities "need to act now to better understand, contain and stop the spread of this drug-resistant fungus." The Director of CDC Tom Frieden emphasized that "this is an emerging threat, and we need to protect vulnerable patients and others."

The report about the very first detailed description of the infection in the U.S. is the result of a collaboration of the agency with both local and state departments to acquire more knowledge about Candida auris.

Candida auris is a fungal species that causes candidiasis in humans. Patients infected develop white patches on their tongue and other parts of their body. They may also experience difficulty in swallowing, burning sensation and genital itch.

Four out of the 13 patients are reportedly dead. However, it is unclear whether they died due to the fungal infection or other causes. Seven cases were recorded from Illinois, New Jersey, Mary Land and New York. All 13 patients were reported to have "serious underlying medical conditions" like cancer.

Tom Chiller, the chief of the Mycotic Disease Branch chief of the CDC, said that it is possible that the fungal infection only arrived in the country in the past few years. The strains discovered show similarity with those examined in South America and South Asia. However, none of the 13 infected individuals had traveled to those regions. Also, about 71 percent of the collected samples showed resistance to antibiotics.