Researchers flag antifungal resistance

Fungi are increasingly dodging the drugs used to kill them, and a global group of researchers says resistant Aspergillus and Candida need urgent attention now. (radboudumc.nl) Fungi are molds and yeasts that can live in soil, on plants, on skin, and in hospitals. Most infections are mild, but invasive fungal disease can turn severe in people with cancer, transplants, HIV, chronic lung disease, or other immune problems. (who.int) The warning comes from 50 researchers across 16 organizations led by Radboud University Medical Center, or Radboudumc, in the Netherlands. Their call for action was published April 15 in *Nature Medicine* ahead of the World Health Organization’s planned 2026 update to its Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. (nature.com) The paper lays out a five-step plan: awareness, surveillance, infection prevention and control, optimized antifungal use, and new investment. The authors argue fungi have been overshadowed in antimicrobial resistance policy, which has focused more heavily on bacteria and viruses. (radboudumc.nl) The two fungi drawing the most attention are *Candida auris*, a yeast that spreads in healthcare settings, and *Aspergillus fumigatus*, a mold people breathe in from the environment. The World Health Organization put both on its 2022 fungal priority pathogens list, which covers 19 fungi judged to pose the biggest public-health threats. (who.int) In U.S. hospitals and nursing homes, *Candida auris* has become a persistent infection-control problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 6,304 clinical cases were reported in 2024, and the fungus can cause severe multidrug-resistant illness. (cdc.gov) For invasive *Candida auris* infections, more than 1 in 3 patients die, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention materials cited by state and local health agencies. Those infections usually strike people already seriously ill in hospitals or long-term care facilities. (nj.gov) *Aspergillus fumigatus* is different: people inhale it from the air, and the biggest drug-resistance problem involves azoles, the main first-line antifungal drugs for aspergillosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says azole-resistant infections are harder to treat and can raise the risk of death by up to 33%. (cdc.gov) Researchers and the CDC say some of that resistance develops outside hospitals, in the environment. Azole fungicides used on crops are chemically similar to medical azoles, creating a route for resistant *Aspergillus* strains to emerge and then spread through the air. (cdc.gov) The World Health Organization says only four classes of antifungal medicines are currently available, and the clinical pipeline remains thin. It also says many countries still lack rapid diagnostics and solid surveillance, leaving the global burden of fungal disease and resistance poorly measured. (who.int) The researchers want antifungal resistance written directly into the World Health Organization’s 2026 antimicrobial-resistance plan. Their argument is simple: resistant fungi are already in intensive care units, transplant wards, and the wider environment, and the standard drugs are working less reliably. (nature.com)