AUTHOR=Shah Krish , Deshpande Mukund , Shah P. 

TITLE=Healthcare-associated fungal infections and emerging pathogens during the COVID-19 pandemic

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Fungal Biology

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/fungal-biology/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2024.1339911

DOI=10.3389/ffunb.2024.1339911

ISSN=2673-6128

ABSTRACT=Over 150 million people have severe fungal infections, which leads to approximately more than one million deaths per year. Moreover, diseases like cancer, which involve long-term therapy and prophylactic use of antifungal drugs, have increased the emergence of drug-resistant fungi, which include highly virulent strains such as Candida auris. The clinical spectrum of fungal diseases ranges from superficial mucocutaneous lesions to more severe and life-threatening infections. This mini-review discusses the effects of hospital environments, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, on fungal infections and emerging pathogens. The review also provides insight into various antifungal drugs and their existing associated challenges, thereby driving the need to search for novel antifungal agents.