Neonatal invasive candidiasis is a serious fungal infection affecting premature and very low birth weight babies. The types of fungi causing these infections are changing globally, with more resistant strains appearing, especially in lower-income countries. Treatment options are limited by this resistance, making prevention through hygiene and proper hospital practices increasingly important.
This study examined how well healthcare facilities in Honduras can diagnose and treat serious fungal infections. Researchers surveyed laboratories and hospitals to find out what diagnostic tools and antifungal medications were available. The findings showed that while basic tests like microscopy were common, advanced techniques were rare, and many important antifungal drugs were difficult to access. The study recommends improving training, building better laboratories, and making essential medications more available.
Fungal infections are becoming more common and dangerous because some fungi are developing resistance to antifungal medicines. UK hospitals struggle to manage these infections due to lack of funding, staffing, and limited access to fungal testing services. The paper recommends creating regional fungal expertise centers and setting national standards to improve how antifungal medications are used and monitored across the country.
Scientists have sequenced and analyzed the complete genomes of four species of Mucor fungus that cause serious infections in humans. Using advanced long-read sequencing technology, they created high-quality genetic blueprints for these organisms, which will help doctors better identify which Mucor species is causing infections and enable faster diagnosis and treatment of these dangerous fungal infections.
A woman with advanced HIV infection presented with skin sores and respiratory symptoms that were initially suspected to be a viral infection. Testing revealed she had histoplasmosis, a serious fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum that had spread throughout her body affecting her skin, lungs, and lymph nodes. While standard tests for this fungus were negative, other fungal markers and cultures eventually confirmed the diagnosis, and she was treated with antifungal medications.
Fungal infections are becoming a major health threat, affecting over a billion people worldwide. The main problems are difficulty diagnosing these infections, increasing resistance to current medications, and limited treatment options. Doctors and the public need better awareness, and new antifungal drugs with different approaches are needed to effectively treat resistant infections.
A 32-year-old man with advanced HIV developed a severe fungal infection of his sinuses caused by a rare fungus called Saksenaea oblongispora, which typically doesn’t affect people with HIV. The patient presented with severe facial swelling that rapidly worsened, and despite doctors identifying the fungus through biopsies and lab tests, he did not receive antifungal treatment or surgery before his condition became critical. This is the first case of this particular fungal infection documented in sub-Saharan Africa and in HIV patients, highlighting how dangerous this rare infection can be and how challenging it is to diagnose quickly enough to save lives.
Researchers developed an improved method for extracting fungal DNA that is faster, cheaper, and safer than current commercial kits. The new protocol works by using a special chemical solution and simple crushing tools instead of expensive equipment like liquid nitrogen or bead beaters. They tested it on 40 different fungal species found in dry fruits and successfully identified them all using genetic markers, showing the method could help diagnose fungal diseases in plants, animals, and humans.
Researchers developed and tested a new rapid test (TG11-LFD) for detecting mucormycosis, a dangerous fungal infection, using a simple device similar to a COVID rapid test. The test detects a specific protein marker released by Mucorales fungi in lung fluid samples. In testing with 62 clinical samples, the new test correctly identified about 77% of actual infections and was negative in about 76% of non-infected samples. This affordable, simple test could help doctors quickly diagnose mucormycosis and start life-saving treatment faster, especially in countries with limited laboratory resources.
Professor Emel Tümbay was a pioneering scientist who transformed medical mycology in Türkiye from 1941 to 2025. She established the country’s first diagnostic mycology laboratory, wrote important reference books, and trained many specialists who spread her knowledge throughout the nation. Her work helped doctors better understand and treat fungal diseases, and she is remembered as a dedicated educator and passionate scientist.