Are the health systems equipped with resources to tackle the growing burden of fungal infections?
Content Editor: Dr. Swathi Shenoy
July 10, 2024 at 2:30:00 PM
Fungal Infections, One Health, Infectious diseases

In the past few decades, there has been an increase in new and re-emergent fungal diseases, which are known to primarily affect animals.
The “one health” approach is the best way to combat such novel diseases.
A review emphasizing the importance of integrating this approach to control the growing global fungal infections.
The review highlights that the current health systems have been geared against viral infections due to COVID-19; however, the systems need to be more robust in handling the growing fungal infections.
Fungal infections lead to over 2 million deaths annually, but this census is often concealed by listing the deaths under the underlying disease.
A few essential fungal infections that have wreaked havoc include:
Human outbreaks of Sporothrix brasiliensis
Fungal keratitis related to agricultural activities
Sporotrichosis related to unprotected horticultural activities
Some of the recommendations provided by the review are as follows:
Routine use of simple and inexpensive diagnostic tests will reduce unnecessary anti-bacterial therapy.
Restriction of the use of azole fungicides in agriculture to reduce the emergence of resistance
Cautious development of newer azoles for the treatment of these infections.
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