Aspergillus and Its Public Health Impact: From Exposure to Intervention

Aspergillus species are ubiquitous environmental fungi with significant implications for human health, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and workers exposed in occupational settings. These fungi are known to cause a range of conditions, from allergic responses to severe invasive infections. In recent years, the emergence of azole-resistant strains, partly driven by widespread agricultural fungicide use, has raised concerns about treatment efficacy 3 and antimicrobial stewardship. Simultaneously, climate change is influencing fungal proliferation and distribution, potentially increasing exposure levels and shifting disease burdens, as well has increasing the widespread of azole resistant strains due to the need of using fungicides…. These developments highlight the need for integrated approaches to monitor environmental exposure, track resistance trends, and anticipate health risks. The intersection of environmental change, occupational vulnerability, and microbial resistance creates a complex and evolving public health challenge that demands multidisciplinary attention.



The goal of this Research Topic is to present a comprehensive collection of articles that synthesize the current state-of-the-art knowledge on Aspergillus-related public and occupational health challenges. This includes understanding the environmental and occupational exposure routes, the clinical burden of disease, the toxicological risks associated with mycotoxin production, and the increasing threat posed by azole-resistant strains. Particular emphasis will be given to the role of climate change in altering fungal ecology, potentially increasing spore load, geographic spread, mycotoxin contamination, and the frequency of human exposure.

This collection aims to identify critical research gaps, including the need for improved detection methods, harmonized exposure assessment protocols, and integrated surveillance systems that link environmental and clinical data. It will also explore intervention strategies—ranging from workplace protection to antimicrobial stewardship—and highlight how environmental monitoring and One Health approaches can support more effective public health responses. By gathering interdisciplinary evidence, this Research Topic will offer actionable recommendations for future research, regulation, and disease prevention efforts.



Suitable themes for manuscripts include, but are not limited to:

1. Environmental and occupational exposure to Aspergillus

2. Azole resistance: origins, detection, and clinical implications

3. Climate change and fungal ecology: shifting patterns and new hotspots

4. Detection, monitoring, and modelling of fungal spores and mycotoxins

5. Built environments, ventilation, and exposure risk

6. Health impacts of chronic exposure, mycotoxin toxicity and emerging clinical syndromes

7. Interventions: occupational protection, surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship and mycotoxin control

8. Policy development and One Health perspectives

Accepted manuscript types include: original research, reviews, case studies, mini-reviews, methods and opinion papers

Keywords: Aspergillus, fungal ecology, fungi in One Health, fungal infections

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.