Fungal infections are evolving and becoming resistant to the drugs used to treat them, leading some researchers to call it a “silent epidemic” that must be urgently addressed. The threat of fungal pathogens and antifungal resistance is being overlooked in global health discussions, according to molecular biologist Norman van Rijn of the University of Manchester in the U.K. He warned that without urgent attention and action, some particularly dangerous fungal infections, which already infect 6.5 million people and kill 3.8 million each year, could become even more dangerous. Science Alert,
The biologists, along with an international group of scientists, are urging governments, research communities and the pharmaceutical industry to “look beyond just bacteria.” The researchers said many initiatives to combat antimicrobial resistance leave out fungal infections. Science AlertHe said that if immediate attention is not given then fungal infection can become even more dangerous.
“The disproportionate focus on bacteria is worrying, as many drug resistance problems in past decades were the result of invasive fungal diseases, which have been largely underrecognised by the community and governments,” said Norman van Rijn and colleagues from institutions in China, the Netherlands, Austria, Australia, Spain, the UK, Brazil, the US, India, Turkey and Uganda.
Fungal diseases such as Aspergillus fumigatus, which affects the lungs, and Candida, which causes yeast infections, are considered the most dangerous. According to the outlet, people with weakened immune systems and older adults are most at risk.
Fungi are more complex organisms than bacteria and viruses, making it harder and more expensive for scientists to develop drugs that can kill fungal cells without harming other vital cells in the body, the scientists explained. Currently, there are only four classes of antifungal drugs, and resistance to them is on the rise.
“Only four systemic antifungal classes are available for the treatment of deep or invasive fungal infections and resistance to these currently available classes has become the rule rather than the exception,” the researchers write.
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The team said they are concerned that agricultural practices are contributing to the problem. They pointed out that fungicides used in farming can cause cross-resistance in fungi that affect humans. They suggest that the world needs a balance between protecting crops and treating fungal infections.
“Antifungal protection is essential for food safety,” the researchers wrote. “The question is how do we balance food safety and the ability to treat current and future resistant fungal pathogens?”
The team recommends a global agreement to restrict the use of some antifungal drugs for specific purposes, as well as collaborative regulation to strike a balance between food safety and health.