There are an estimated 1.5 million species of fungi, of which more than 8,000 are known to cause disease in plants and 300 to be pathogenic for humans. They are agents of infections that affect especially patients in immunosuppressive conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy, solid organ and stem cell transplantation. Furthermore, the advances in therapies with monoclonal antibodies and small molecule inhibitors also have been contributed to increase the number of patients at risk of opportunistic infections. However, the cases of fungal infections in immunocompetent patients have increased in recent decades, and this has made researchers around the world look for explanations.
One of the best consolidated hypotheses associates the emergence of fungal pathogens to climate changes. Experts believe that global warming is inducing the adaptation of fungi to higher temperatures, which is reflected in greater resistance to the host's defense mechanisms.
This scenario, associated with social, humanitarian and health crises, such as the Covid 19 pandemic, brings pan-resistant species, such as Candida auris, Aspergillus sp., resistant to the latest generation azole derivatives and outbreaks of mucormycosis associated with Covid-19.
This Research Topic focuses in opportunistic and emergent fungal pathogens. Therefore, we welcome submissions of original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, case reports and brief research reports that include but are not limited to the specific themes listed below:
• Covid-19 fungal co-infections
• Fungal resistance to antifungal drugs
• Rare fungal infections
• Environmental isolation of pathogenic species
• Host-opportunistic fungi relationship
• Genomic analysis
There are an estimated 1.5 million species of fungi, of which more than 8,000 are known to cause disease in plants and 300 to be pathogenic for humans. They are agents of infections that affect especially patients in immunosuppressive conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy, solid organ and stem cell transplantation. Furthermore, the advances in therapies with monoclonal antibodies and small molecule inhibitors also have been contributed to increase the number of patients at risk of opportunistic infections. However, the cases of fungal infections in immunocompetent patients have increased in recent decades, and this has made researchers around the world look for explanations.
One of the best consolidated hypotheses associates the emergence of fungal pathogens to climate changes. Experts believe that global warming is inducing the adaptation of fungi to higher temperatures, which is reflected in greater resistance to the host's defense mechanisms.
This scenario, associated with social, humanitarian and health crises, such as the Covid 19 pandemic, brings pan-resistant species, such as Candida auris, Aspergillus sp., resistant to the latest generation azole derivatives and outbreaks of mucormycosis associated with Covid-19.
This Research Topic focuses in opportunistic and emergent fungal pathogens. Therefore, we welcome submissions of original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, case reports and brief research reports that include but are not limited to the specific themes listed below:
• Covid-19 fungal co-infections
• Fungal resistance to antifungal drugs
• Rare fungal infections
• Environmental isolation of pathogenic species
• Host-opportunistic fungi relationship
• Genomic analysis