154 cases of deadly, drug-resistant fungus in Illinois hospitals.

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Illinois health officials announced Monday that since 2016 they have seen 154 cases of a fast moving, often life-threatening fungus, adding concern about the fungus’ spread.

Monday’s number makes Illinois the state with the second-highest occurrence of Candida auris, an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast that can cause infection and, in some cases, death. New York has had 309 reported cases of the fungus, and New Jersey 104.

Dr. Tom Chiller, chief of mycotic diseases branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told NBC News that Candida auris is “causing invasive infections globally.”

“It acquires resistance fast, and then it remains resistant. It has the ability to develop pan resistance,” Chiller explained.

While yeasts normally reside in warm, damp spaces, Candida auris can survive on cool, external skin and cold surfaces, allowing it to spread more rapidly than other forms of Candida from patient to patient.

“It’s not acting like a typical candida. This candida is acting much more like a bacteria,” Chiller said. “We’re not used to yeast acting that way.”