WHO: Potentially deadly fungal infections climb during COVID pandemic

Source: (https://fxn.ws/3SV2vlS)
The World Health Organization on Tuesday warned that reported
invasive fungal infections increased significantly among hospitalized
patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a release alongside its recently released list of priority fungal
pathogens, the U.N. health agency said emerging evidence indicates
that the incidence and geographic range of fungal diseases are
expanding around the world due to the increases in travel as well
as climate change.
"Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance
pandemic, fungal infections are growing, and are ever more resistant
to treatments, becoming a public health concern worldwide,"
Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO's assistant director-general of antimicrobial
resistance, said in a statement.
The list categorizes the pathogens into three categories, including
critical, high and medium priority.
Of the 19 invasive fungal diseases, four were categorized as
"critical priority," including Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus
fumigatus, Candida albicans and Candida auris.
The report says that drug-resistant infections are estimated to cause
1.27 million deaths and contribute to nearly 5 million deaths
annually.
A recent study published in the journal Nature estimates that of
the 150,000 fungal species described, only about 200 of them are
infectious to people.
Invasive forms of fungal infections often impact severely ill
patients and those with underlying conditions.
Populations at greatest risk of infection include those with cancer,
HIV/AIDS, organ transplants, chronic respiratory disease and
post-primary tuberculosis infection.
There are only four classes of antifungal medicines currently
available. The WHO said its ranking by experts - the first fungal
priority pathogens list - marks the first effort to prioritize
the issue.
It calls for more evidence to inform the response to these threats,
including preventing the development of antimicrobial resistance,
and address the impact of antifungal use on resistance across the
One Health spectrum.

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