Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is posing an increasing danger to world health and is responsible for around 5 million fatalities each year. While antibiotic-resistant bacteria have received a lot of attention, researchers are calling attention to the threat posed by resistant fungal diseases, which they refer to as a “silent pandemic.” Despite their growing incidence and significance, fungal infections and antifungal resistance are typically disregarded in debates about global health, according to Norman van Rhijn, a molecular scientist at the University of Manchester.
Approximately 6.5 million individuals get fungal infections annually, which are thought to cause 3.8 million fatalities. Pathogens including Candida, which causes a variety of yeast infections, and Aspergillus fumigatus, which is known to cause severe lung infections, pose serious hazards, especially to older folks and those with impaired immune systems. As the UN gets ready to organize a conference in September to address diverse kinds of antimicrobial resistance, including resistant bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, experts are pushing for a larger focus on these illnesses.
Experts point to a number of factors, including environmental effects, lifestyle choices, and chemical exposure, as contributing to the increased rates of early-onset breast cancer and colon cancer in younger people, refuting the notion that these diseases are solely inherited. The American Cancer Society’s former deputy chief medical officer, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, pointed out that a number of these factors are responsible for the rising cancer incidence in younger populations.
Despite being a major global health issue identified by the World Health Organization (WHO), resistant fungal diseases are frequently overlooked in talks about antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While many people acknowledge that drug-resistant bacterial illnesses are a serious issue, drug-resistant fungal diseases have largely gone unnoticed by researchers, governments, and pharmaceutical corporations, according to Dr. van Rhijn.
Because fungal cells resemble human cells more than bacteria, treating fungal infections poses distinct obstacles in the development of specific antifungal medications that do not damage human tissues. There are just four kinds of antifungal treatments at the moment, and drug resistance to these is increasing. This problem is further complicated by agricultural activities, since the fungicides used in farming might lead to the development of cross-resistance in fungi that affect humans.
A worldwide initiative to address antimicrobial resistance can be launched at the upcoming UN meeting, and it is imperative that fungi be included in these crucial conversations. The researchers’ conclusion, “No microbe should be left behind,” highlights how urgently comprehensive measures are needed to properly combat all forms of antibiotic resistance.
SOURCE :
ECONOMIC TIMES
