Warn of drug-resistant fungi that can infect human lungs

Aspergillosis is an opportunistic infection caused by inhalation of filamentous fungi Aspergillus (available in the environment). Most people breathe in spores Aspergillus every day without getting sick. However, people with weakened immune systems or lung disease are at a higher risk of health problems due to: Aspergillus.

Types of health problems caused by Aspergillus Causes include allergic reactions, lung infections, and infections in other organs.

Aspergillosis affects 10 to 20 million people worldwide, often treated with antifungal drugs, but with emerging and growing evidence of resistance.

Environmental fungi that can infect people’s lungs are dangerously resistant to drugs.

This resistance is due to the widespread use of azole fungicides in agriculture, similar to those used to treat aspergillosis, according to the study authors.

Professor Matthew Fisher, School of Public Health at Imperial University (UK), co-author of the study, said: “Understanding the environmental hotspots and genetic basis of the development of fungal drug resistance Urgent attention is needed, because drug resistance is affecting our ability to prevent and treat this disease.”

The researchers analyzed the DNA of 218 samples Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland between 2005 and 2017. About 7 out of 10 samples were from infected people, and other samples were from the environment, including from soil, compost, plant roots, air and other sources.

Of the 218 samples, nearly half were resistant to at least one first azole drug. Specifically, 48% were resistant to itraconazole, 29% to voriconazole and 21% to posaconazole.

More than 10% of samples (including 23 samples in the medium and 3 samples from patients) were resistant to two or more azole drugs.

In 218 samples, the researchers found 50 new resistance-related genes and five new combinations of resistance-related DNA changes, including one multidrug resistance gene.

Prof. Fisher said: “The prevalence of drug-resistant aspergillosis has increased from negligible levels prior to 1999 to 3% to 40% of cases today across Europe. At the same time, due to the large population of people. Having a stem cell or solid organ transplant, being treated with immunosuppressive drugs, suffering from lung diseases or severe viral respiratory infections… should increase the risk of infection. Aspergillus fumigatus”.

According to scientists, more monitoring is needed for A. fumigatus in the environment and the patient to help understand the risk it poses to respond appropriately.