The World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier this week released its first-ever list of health-threatening fungal “priority pathogens”, a catalogue of 19 fungi that represent the greatest threat to public health.
The WHO fungal priority pathogens list (FPPL), released on October 25, is the first global effort to systematically prioritize fungal pathogens, and is all the more important given the absence of sufficient research in the field, the UN body said.
Fungal pathogens are not only becoming increasingly common with a larger risk of mutating into invasive species, but many are drug-resistant as well, the WHO said.
There are only four classes of antifungal medicines currently available, and few others are being developed, it said. Additionally, rapid and sensitive diagnosis for most fungal pathogens are rarely available and most are not widely available or affordable globally.
Fungal pathogens can often affect severely ill patients and those with significant underlying immune system related conditions, it said. Those with cancer, HIV/AIDS, organ transplants, chronic respiratory disease, and post-primary tuberculosis infection are at greatest risk.
Global warming, climate change and ‘increase of international travel and trade’ have led to further spread of fungal infections. Invasive fungal infection cases rose significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic among hospitalised patients.
Common infections, such as candida oral and vaginal thrush, are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, thus increasing the risk of development of more invasive forms of infections within the general public, it said.
“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” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Assistant Director-General, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
The WHO list has categorised infections into three priority lists, critical, high and medium priority. The critical group includes Candida auris, which is highly drug resistant and has caused a number of outbreaks in hospitals worldwide, as well as Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans.
While highlighting the increasing threat to public health posed by fungal pathogens, the WHO also stressed on the need to increase research in the area to sufficiently prepare responses. “We need more data and evidence on fungal infections and antifungal resistance to inform and improve response to these priority fungal pathogens” said Dr Haileyesus Getahun, WHO Director, AMR Global Coordination Department.
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