A statement released by World Health Organisation assistant director general of antimicrobial resistance, Dr Hanan Balkhy suggest: “Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic, invasive fungal diseases are growing ever more resistant to treatments, becoming an ever more pressing public health concern worldwide.”
According to a group of researchers led by Dr Justin Beardsley of the University of Sydney Infectious Diseases Institutes, historical research underspending was out of step with the “huge burden of disease” of fungal infections and are causing as many deaths as tuberculosis, and more than malaria,” he said.
Bringing together some 400 mycology experts and a review of more than 6,000 research papers, the report authoritatively ranked fungal pathogens based on public health impact and risk of resistance to antifungal drugs.
Of the 19 fungi included, the report says, four, including Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans – the two most common fungal pathogens globally –were identified as being of “critical” priority. Also included in the “critical” category is Cryptococcus neoformans, the leading cause of death in people living with HIV.
Aspergillus fumigatus mainly affects the lungs, while Candida albicans is the most common cause of thrush – and invasive infections in vulnerable patients have high mortality rates.
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There was a sharp increase in Infection rates of both pathogens rose in most countries that registered high rate of Covid-19 infection. “We suddenly had a bunch of patients who were getting really sick, coming in with lung damage, being in intensive care and having immune-suppressing medications, and so we saw a spike in the rates of these infections,” Beardsley said.
Candida auris, the fourth critical priority pathogen listed by the report, is “intrinsically resistant to most available antifungal medicines and has high outbreak potential”. Candida auris which grows as yeast was first discovered in humans in 2009.
