They may not reach the level of triggering a zombie apocalypse as in 'The Last of Us', but many fungi are becoming increasingly resistant to the drugs used to treat them. — HBO/dpa
Antifungal resistance – less discussed and less well-known than antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – is spreading and leaving people more vulnerable to related infections, some of which are deadly.
These fungal infections, or mycoses, look little like the brain-controlling fungus that causes a zombie apocalypse in the hit TV series and video game The Last of Us, however, experts are warning that they pose a rising threat as fatal diseases spread in hospitals.
“Mycoses resistant to antifungal drugs are on the increase,” according to the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), which has linked the growing resistance to overuse and misuse of antifungal treatments.
It is a similar story to AMR, which is when bacterial infections are not quelled by antibiotics.
The spread of AMR has been accelerated by the overusage of antibiotics not only as medication, but also as ingredients in animal feed on farms.
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“Treatments against pathogenic fungi are used in agriculture, as well as in human and animal health,” the CNRS said, pointing out the “identical resistance mechanisms” shared against antifungals and antibiotics.
“As is the case with over- prescribed antibiotics, to which bacteria have become resistant, the massive use of antifungals is leading to a gradual decline in their effectiveness,” the CNRS warned, pointing out that the World Health Organization (WHO) did not draw up a list of “19 particularly dangerous fungi” until 2022.
“The incidence and geographical range of fungal diseases are expanding worldwide,” according to the WHO, which, at the time, said antifungal resistance was the main cause of the expansion.
The CNRS warned of infections caused by a common mould found in soil called Aspergillus, which can cause a lung disease dangerous to people with weak immune systems.
“Antimicrobial resistance is emerging in Aspergillus fumigatus,” according to the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).
Other common fungi that cause diseases are Blastomycosis, which also affects lungs, and Candida auris, which the US CDC describes as “a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spreads easily among patients in healthcare facilities”. – dpa
