According to the new report, some fungal diseases in humans no longer react to drugs, which increases the risk of serious illness and death, as well as the spread of diseases.
On Tuesday World Health Organization (Who) published what he calls his first report on the lack of tests and treatment of fungal infections.
Yeast, forms and mushrooms are examples of mushrooms. Common nail infections or vaginal yeast infections are common and treated, but this is not always the case.
“Fungal diseases are a growing problem of public health, with common infections – such as candida, which cause oral thrush and vagina – are becoming more and more resistant to treatment,” he said.
Here are some key things that you should know about fungal diseases in Canada and around the world.
What are my fungal diseases and why are they meaning?
Fungal diseases are a kind of infectious disease that spreads from person to person, for example, touching someone who has an infection or sharing clothes with them, or in the environment, for example from breathing spores.
Biochemistry professor Gerry Wright says that WHO reports pay attention to an important problem.
“We all have someone in our lives who knows how cancer affected, so it makes it sensitive or who had a kidney transplant or a heart transplant or which he has rolling,” said Wright, who is looking for new ways to kill fungal pathogens at McMaster University in Hamilton.
He says that all these conditions are treated with immune drugs, and people with a weakened immune system are more susceptible to fungal diseases.
Invasive fungal diseases occur when mushrooms enter the blood, tissue and other places in the body, which are usually sterile.
In the case of mushrooms in the highest category of “critical priority” WHO, mortality rates reach up to 88 percent, he said in a statement.
Fatal fungus – known for causing a potentially deadly disease called Fever Valley – lurks in the south -western soil of the US, is not yet in Canada, but thanks to climate change it moves north.
“You can get lung infections, so fungal pneumonia,” said Wright. “There are even some types of fungi that have affinity for the neurological system, thanks to which you can get an increase in spinal cord and brain. Almost everywhere where you could think, it would be a bad place for a contagious body, mushrooms can go there.”
What's new?
Better treatment of diseases such as cancer means that more people will probably live in conditions of reduced immunity, which can also mean an increase in the number of invasive fungal diseases, said WHO.
Rebecca Shapiro, an associate professor who studies a fungal disease at the University of Guelph, pointed to several other factors for growing indicators.
“We saw growing fungal infections, especially there were many co -occurrence fungal disease during Covid 19 Pandemia, “she said,” so people who are very sick and hospitalized with Covid were also very susceptible to fungal diseases. “
While around a dozen antibiotic classes are available to treat bacterial infections, there are only three main antifungal classes, she said.
“We also have to worry about how we use antifungal both in the clinic and actually in agriculture,” said Shapiro.
They are sprayed with crops to prevent mold, plague and rust diseases.
“One of the problems is that there is often not much communication in terms of the use of drugs on both sides.”
Take, for example, a kind of Aspergillus, whose spores are common in the environment. But Aspergillus fumigatus Species cause various diseases, from allergic diseases to invasive aspergilosis, a serious fungal infection, depending on the immune status and lungs. This special infection is increasingly resistant to antifungal due to the use of both in the clinic and agriculture, which they called “disturbing”.
To help fight this, doctors encourage patients Finish the entire course antifungal treatment. Proper removal of drugs also prevents antifungal entry into the environment, where microorganisms can also develop resistance.
What is the situation in Canada?
Candida Auris He is another mushroom pathogen that he called a critical priority. The form of yeast easily spreads in hospitals and long -term care homes, especially among people with a weakened immune system. It can be difficult to treat effectively when it attacks the bloodstream and is often resistant to antifungal drugs.
As of March 26, 65 cases of C. Auris have been reported throughout the country since 2012, when the first case was identified, said the Public Health Agency in Canada. Of these cases, 46 have been identified since 2019.
“C. Auris may be resistant to a multiplayer, which means that at least two types of antifungal may not affect it,” said the Federal Agency in an e-mail. “All known cases in Canada responded to at least one of Recommended treatments. “
Most mushroom pathogens grow on the skin, which has a cooler temperature than inside the body.
Wright said that C. Auris is an exception: “Think here can be one of the first examples of climate change affecting the pathogenic body, because now it can grow at the temperature of the human body 37 (C), so it begins to be a big problem.”
What next?
Who said that antifungal drugs are needed that act against a wide range of severe infections, and children are particularly underestimated. The organization said that there is not enough approved treatments. Over the past decade, only four new antifungs have been approved in the United States, the EU or China. And nine currently in clinical development only three are at the last stage, which means that in the next decade few approvals were expected.
Currently available drugs can have serious side effects and require an extended hospital, he said.
Both Wright and Shapiro laboratories are working on the development of potential antifungal.
“There is really a group of people who understand that this is a big problem and try to solve it,” said Wright. “But you know, we don't have solutions overnight.”