Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has long been considered a serious threat to humanity. However, diving into solving this problem, we can lose sight of an equally dangerous threat, scientists warn. The publication of an international consortium of scientists sounded a serious warning about the rise of resistance to antifungal drugs, which could become a serious new problem for the global health system if the necessary measures are not taken. While much attention is paid to the spread of monkeypox, another, perhaps even more dangerous, threat threatens humanity, the publication notes. News Medical.
A group of scientists led by researchers from the University of Manchester, the Westerdijk Institute and the University of Amsterdam points out that most fungal pathogens already show resistance to existing antifungal agents or are rapidly developing it. In an article published in the journal The Lancet, scientists emphasize that this problem requires an immediate response.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these pathogens cause the death of about 3.8 million people annually. Scientists say that the current focus on fighting antibiotic resistance (AMR) does not cover an equally important problem: resistance to antifungal drugs. They are calling for fungal infections to also be discussed at the upcoming UN meeting on AMR in September.
According to the authors, if fungal diseases are not included in the strategy to control AMR, this fight will remain incomplete and the burden these infections impose on the global health system will only increase. Fungal resistance is an increasingly serious problem, as it is common among all four classes of antifungal agents available, making it much more difficult to treat infections such as Aspergillus, Candida, Nakaseomyces glabratus and Trichophyton indotineae, which are especially dangerous for the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
The main difficulty in the development of drugs to fight fungal infections is that fungal cells are biologically similar to human cells, which makes the creation of effective and at the same time safe drugs an extremely difficult task. Dr Norman van Rijn of the University of Manchester, who co-ordinated the research, stressed that the seriousness of the problem of fungal resistance had been underestimated for decades, even though it was a growing global threat. Professor Ferri Hagen from the University of Amsterdam highlights another important problem: the chemical industry often creates fungicides with a similar mechanism of action, which leads to cross-resistance even before new drugs appear on the market.
This situation puts humanity in a dangerous position, as new treatments may be ineffective before they are available. Scientists propose several solutions to overcome this crisis, including global agreements to limit the use of certain antifungal molecules, increased cooperation to ensure food safety and protect human and animal health, and the inclusion of fungal infections in global strategies to control AMR.
Fungal diseases not only affect human health, but also damage agriculture, causing significant crop losses worldwide, affecting food security and the global economy. Such a double threat only emphasizes the importance of coordinated international measures that would take into account both the needs of the agricultural sector and the protection of public health.
