Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 16: Scientists have raised serious concerns over the growing resistance of fungi to existing antifungal medicines, warning that the trend poses a significant threat to global health, food security, and infection control.
A group of 50 researchers, including experts from the University of Manchester, has called for an urgent global action plan to address the issue. They caution that drug-resistant fungi found in soil, crops, and hospital settings are becoming increasingly difficult to treat with currently available medicines.
While healthy individuals face limited risk, people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to severe and potentially fatal infections.
To address the crisis, researchers have proposed a five-step strategy focusing on improving awareness, strengthening surveillance, enhancing infection control, promoting responsible use of antifungal drugs, and investing in the development of new treatments. The recommendations are expected to contribute to the World Health Organization’s updated Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance later this year.
Experts highlighted the alarming spread of dangerous fungal pathogens such as Candida auris, known to cause life-threatening bloodstream infections, and Aspergillus fumigatus, which has developed resistance to widely used antifungal drugs. Another emerging concern is Trichophyton indotineae, responsible for severe and hard-to-treat skin infections.
Researchers emphasised that antifungal resistance often originates in the natural environment rather than hospitals. The widespread use of fungicides in agriculture—chemically similar to medical antifungal drugs—enables fungi to develop resistance in soil and crops, which can then spread to humans and animals.
This interconnected relationship between environment, agriculture, and healthcare, known as the “One Health” approach, highlights how resistance emerging in farms can directly impact treatment outcomes in hospitals.
Scientists warned that without coordinated global action involving policymakers, healthcare systems, and the agricultural sector, the world could face infections that are increasingly difficult—or even impossible—to cure.
They stressed that integrating antifungal resistance into global health strategies is crucial to prevent a crisis similar to antibiotic resistance, which continues to challenge healthcare systems worldwide.