Deadly fungal infections spread like ‘silent pandemic’ and could kill 40 million people in just 25 years, study finds

Antibiotic-resistant infections could kill nearly 40 million people by 2050, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

Drug-resistant infections killed more than a million people each year between 1900 and 2021, researchers say.

According to the report, this number could reach nearly two million by 2050, meaning that around 40 million people would be killed in more than 25 years.

Researchers estimate that a third of people’s lives could be saved if they had wider access to better treatments and appropriate antibiotics.

Bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria evolve and become resistant to drugs, making common illnesses like pneumonia, urinary tract infections and diarrhea deadly.

This adaptation to exist beyond medicine is leading to a “silent pandemic” that needs to be urgently addressed, the researchers said.

“The threat of fungal pathogens and antifungal resistance, although a growing global problem, is being left out of the debate,” said molecular biologist Norman van Rhijn of the University of Manchester in the UK.

The international team of scientists and van Rhijn called on the pharmaceutical industry and governments to “look beyond simple bacteria”.

They warned that if no action is taken, fungal infections could infect 6.5 million people and kill 3.8 million each year.

“The disproportionate focus on bacteria is concerning because many drug resistance problems in recent decades have been the result of invasive fungal diseases, which are largely under-recognized by the community and governments,” van Rhijn writes in the report.

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“To treat deep or invasive fungal infections, only four classes of systemic antifungals are available and resistance is now the rule rather than the exception for the currently available classes,” the authors said.

In recent decades, new antifungals have emerged, but the race between pathogens and drugs is now accelerating.

“Even before (these drugs) reach the market after years of development and clinical trials, fungicides with similar modes of action are being developed by the agrochemical industry, leading to cross-resistance for critical priority pathogens,” the researchers explained.

“Antifungal protection is necessary for food safety. The question is how do we reconcile food safety with the ability to deal with current and future resistant fungal pathogens?” they said.

(With contributions from agencies)