WHO publishes first ever list of fungal infections that are 'becoming a threat to humanity'

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a list of more than a dozen fungus that are dangerous to the general public's health.

The global health organisation has identified 19 "priority pathogens" that include yeasts and moulds and are evolving and becoming resistant to treatments, as reported by The Daily Mail. 

Over 150 million serious infections and over 1.7 million fatalities globally are annually attributed to fungus infections.

However, during the pandemic, the infections—which proliferated in hospitals and can be fatal for patients with compromised immune systems—became increasingly widespread.

The pathogens target individuals with compromised immune systems, such as those who are battling COVID-19. Steroids are one of the Covid treatments that can make the body's defences against fungus even weaker.

A comparable list of the most deadly bacteria is published by the WHO, which also created a list of dangerous fungus due to a general lack of funding for their research.

According to the WHO, fungus-related infections continue to pose a serious threat to the public's health despite inadequate funding being allocated to their research.

There have historically been gaps in our understanding of diagnostics and effective therapies due to a lack of research on fungal pathogens.

Dr Hanan Balkhy, the WHO's assistant director-general, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) said: 'Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic, fungal infections are growing, and are ever more resistant to treatments, becoming a public health concern worldwide.'

The health organisation encouraged nations to strengthen their mechanisms for detecting the 19 types of hazardous fungi and taking action.

According to Dr. Haileyesus Getahun, Director of the WHO's AMR Global Coordination Department, "Countries are encouraged to follow a step-by-step approach, starting with strengthening their fungal disease laboratory and surveillance capacities, and ensuring equitable access to existing quality therapeutics and diagnostics, globally."

Because of the planet's ongoing warming, fungi have had to evolve in ways that make them better at spreading disease to humans.

The characteristics of the fungus, its habitat, and its host change as a result of global warming, increasing the possibility that new fungi varieties will appear.

The scientific community applauded the WHO report, describing it as a step in the right direction for developing new ways to treat fungal infections that are resistant to treatment.