Lethal fungus resistant to drugs has picked up pace across the world, scientists warn

A fungus that is resistant to drugs and extremely lethal is fast spreading across the world, a new study has found. According to researchers, the risk to public health from Candida auris has increased sharply, and there is an urgent need to develop "antifungal agents with broad-spectrum activity against human fungal pathogens." C. auris was only discovered in 2009 and cannot be treated with existing drugs. Outbreaks of the fungus have been reported across the globe, including in the US, in the past, triggering a need for better diagnostic systems and medicines. The paper on the fungus was published in the journal Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews. The fungus has been found in over 50 countries till now and in at least 39 US states.

Study authors wrote, "Taken together, these data underscore the need to develop novel antifungal agents with broad-spectrum activity against human fungal pathogens, to improve diagnostic tests, and to develop immune- and vaccine-based adjunct modalities for the treatment of high-risk patients." A study noted last year that fungal infections are responsible for the death of nearly 4 million people every year. However, Candida auris is a deadlier one, first seen inside the ear of a patient in Japan.

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Candida auris infection on skin and blood are lethal

People with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of being infected by the fungus, as it can quickly turn life-threatening. According to research, it can kill one-third of affected patients whose skin is directly affected by it, and if it enters the bloodstream, the fatality rate climbs to 50 per cent. Candida auris becomes a bigger risk because it is resistant to the most common antifungal medications, including instances where it was found to be resistant against all four major classes of antifungals. Additionally, current tests fail to detect the fungus and often misclassify it as another Candida species.

Climate change is believed to be driving its spread globally, as the fungus has adapted to increasingly warmer temperatures. Scientists have warned that better methods to detect it are needed, along with drugs that can fight the fungus.