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Invasive Fungal Infections: Recent Advances in Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment
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Invasive Fungal Infections: Recent Advances in Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Pathogenesis and Disease Control".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 January 2026 | Viewed by 2773

Special Issue Editors

Dr. María Guadalupe Frías-De-León

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Carretera Federal México-Puebla Km. 34.5, Pueblo de Zoquiapan, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico
Interests: Candida; molecular diagnosis; antifungal resistance; opportunistic fungi
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Erick Martinez-Herrera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico
Interests: clinical microbiology; medical mycology; opportunistic mycoses; yeasts of the genus Candida; Trichosporon; filamentous fungi; Mucorales; dermatophytes; sporotrichosis; virulence factors; molecular epidemiology of fungal pathogens; infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are defined as systemic infections resulting from the establishment of yeasts or molds in deep tissues. The global incidence of these types of infections has increased in recent years due to the growing number of immunosuppressed patients and populations at high risk of fungal infection, such as non-neutropenic critically ill patients, cancer patients, organ or stem cell transplant recipients, and diabetics, as well as those with hematological diseases, AIDS, burns, prolonged immunosuppressive therapy, and chronic respiratory diseases. In these populations, timely and accurate diagnosis, as well as effective treatment, is crucial in preventing a life-threatening outcome. However, the diagnosis of IFI remains complex because currently available tests do not provide sufficient sensitivity and specificity, while treatment is often difficult due to the development of antifungal resistance, the limited number of antifungals for systemic use, and limited research into the development of new antifungal agents.

The objective and focus of this Special Issue is to present recent advances in epidemiology, diagnostic methods, and new treatment options for IFIs in humans, which will allow for better patient management.

All research articles, systematic review articles, or meta-analyses and short communications focused on the objective of this Special Issue are welcome.

Dr. María Guadalupe Frías-De-León
Dr. Erick Martinez-Herrera
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • invasive yeast infection
  • invasive mold infection
  • epidemiology
  • new IFI diagnostic tools
  • new IFI treatments

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1089 KB  
Article
Attributable Mortality to Candidiasis in Non-Neutropenic Critically Ill Patients in the ICU and a Post-Mortem Study
by Jordi Ibañez-Nolla, Felip Garcia, Miquel A. Carrasco and Miquel Nolla-Salas
J. Fungi 2025, 11(12), 871; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11120871 - 8 Dec 2025
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Abstract
Candidiasis remains one of the most challenging infections to treat in critical care, due to its diagnostic difficulties and uncertainty regarding whether it can be directly related to the death of patients with multiorgan failure. This study aims to verify that the statistically [...] Read more.
Candidiasis remains one of the most challenging infections to treat in critical care, due to its diagnostic difficulties and uncertainty regarding whether it can be directly related to the death of patients with multiorgan failure. This study aims to verify that the statistically attributable mortality in this infection is as consistent as the post-mortem attributable mortality. A prospective study was conducted in non-neutropenic ICU patients in whom Candida was detected. Invasive candidiasis is defined based on evidence of disseminated or multifocal candidiasis. Post-mortem study is used as the gold standard for Candida-attributable mortality, and is compared with attributable mortality determined according to clinical study and statistically attributable mortality in relation to the overall mortality of ICU patients and colonized patients. The post-mortem attributable mortality was 30.6% and 22.6% according to the clinical study, while the statistically attributable mortality was 25% in relation to overall ICU mortality and 27% in relation to Candida colonization. Thus, the results of the different calculations of attributable mortality (statistical vs. crude death rate) due to Candida are in agreement. The use of this metric may help to improve ICU outcomes for non-neutropenic critically ill patients with candidiasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Fungal Infections: Recent Advances in Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment)
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8 pages, 222 KB  
Article
Pediatric vs. Adult Invasive Aspergillosis in Cancer and Hematopoietic Transplant Patients: Insights from a Matched Cohort at a Tertiary Cancer Center
by Saliba Wehbe, Ramia Zakhour, Ray Hachem, Ying Jiang, Hiba Dagher, Roseen Salman, Anne-Marie Chaftari and Issam I. Raad
J. Fungi 2025, 11(11), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11110771 - 27 Oct 2025
Viewed by 660
Abstract
Background: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients, including those with hematologic malignancies and hematopoietic stem cell transplants. While adult IA has been well characterized, data on pediatric populations remain limited, and potential age-related differences are often overlooked in current [...] Read more.
Background: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients, including those with hematologic malignancies and hematopoietic stem cell transplants. While adult IA has been well characterized, data on pediatric populations remain limited, and potential age-related differences are often overlooked in current management guidelines. Methods: We conducted a retrospective matched cohort study at a tertiary cancer center, evaluating IA cases diagnosed over a 31-year period. Pediatric patients (≤18 years) with proven or probable IA were matched 1:3 with adult IA cases based on year of diagnosis, underlying disease, and history of hematopoietic cell transplantation. We compared demographics, clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities, microbiology, antifungal prophylaxis, and treatment approaches between the two groups. Results: The study included 34 pediatric and 102 matched adult IA cases. Pediatric patients were significantly more likely to present with neutropenia (p = 0.04) and sinus involvement (p = 0.048). Serum galactomannan testing was more often positive in pediatric patients (p = 0.027), whereas bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan was more frequently positive in adults (p = 0.003). Differences in antifungal prophylactic regimens were also observed. Conclusions: Our findings underscore significant age-related variations in IA epidemiology, diagnostics, and management. These results support the development of age-specific diagnostic algorithms and antifungal strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Fungal Infections: Recent Advances in Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment)
13 pages, 1220 KB  
Article
Progression of Structural Lung Disease in Different Aspergillus fumigatus Disease Phenotypes in Children with CF
by Federico Mollica, Eleni-Rosalina Andrinopoulou, Beyza Y. Ikiz, Punitkumar Makani, Harm A. W. M. Tiddens and Daan Caudri
J. Fungi 2025, 11(10), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11100689 - 23 Sep 2025
Viewed by 636
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus (Asp) is frequently cultured from airways of children with Cystic Fibrosis (CwCF), but the impact on structural lung disease (SLD) remains unknown. In this retrospective study of 125 CwCF with a positive Asp airway culture (Asp+) at Sophia Children’s Hospital [...] Read more.
Aspergillus fumigatus (Asp) is frequently cultured from airways of children with Cystic Fibrosis (CwCF), but the impact on structural lung disease (SLD) remains unknown. In this retrospective study of 125 CwCF with a positive Asp airway culture (Asp+) at Sophia Children’s Hospital between 1988 and 2021, four Asp disease phenotypes were defined based on serum Asp-specific IgE (IgEAsp) and IgG (IgGAsp): colonisation, sensitisation, bronchitis, and allergic bronchitis. SLD was assessed on biennial chest CTs (n = 382) using the PRAGMA-CF score. Annual progression of SLD was modelled for the Asp disease phenotypes, adjusting for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA). Annual SLD progression was high in all phenotypes but was higher in Asp sensitisation and bronchitis compared to colonisation. The proportion of air trapping was high in the full study population (mean 57%), but no differences were found in annual progression between the different Asp disease phenotypes. CwCF with Asp allergic bronchitis had a 10-fold higher risk to develop ABPA during the study follow-up than those with Asp colonisation. The four Asp disease phenotypes, colonisation, sensitisation, bronchitis, and allergic bronchitis, that were defined based on IgEAsp and IgGAsp show different rates of progression of SLD and different risks of ABPA development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Fungal Infections: Recent Advances in Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment)
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11 pages, 441 KB  
Article
Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients with Histoplasmosis: Comparison of Immunocompromised and Non-Immunocompromised Adult Patients
by Liam M. Dalton, Carol A. Kauffman and Marisa H. Miceli
J. Fungi 2025, 11(9), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11090671 - 12 Sep 2025
Viewed by 998
Abstract
We sought to investigate the role of immunocompromise in patients with newly diagnosed histoplasmosis in an era when AIDS is less prevalent. We performed a retrospective comparison of immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised adults hospitalized at Michigan Medicine from 2015 to 2024. Of 51 patients, [...] Read more.
We sought to investigate the role of immunocompromise in patients with newly diagnosed histoplasmosis in an era when AIDS is less prevalent. We performed a retrospective comparison of immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised adults hospitalized at Michigan Medicine from 2015 to 2024. Of 51 patients, 37 (73%) were immunocompromised, 32 from solid organ transplantation or tumor necrosis factor antagonist/disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Of these 37, 34 had disseminated and 3 had pulmonary histoplasmosis; of the 14 non-immunocompromised patients, 8 had disseminated and 6 had pulmonary histoplasmosis, p = 0.004. Fever was the only symptom/sign that was more common in the immunocompromised cohort (86% vs. 36%, p = 0.003). Laboratory/radiological studies showed no major differences between immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised cohorts. Histoplasma urinary antigen was positive for all immunocompromised vs. 79% non-immunocompromised patients, p = 0.003. Median antigen levels were 17.5 (IQR 6.2–19.7) ng/mL for immunocompromised vs. 1.9 (0.6–19.7) ng/mL for non-immunocompromised patients, p = 0.004. Cultures for Histoplasma were more often positive in the immunocompromised cohort, p = 0.025. All-cause 90-day mortality was 14% in each cohort (five immunocompromised and two non-immunocompromised patients); all deaths occurred in those with disseminated histoplasmosis, and four were in the first week of hospitalization. Disseminated histoplasmosis in both immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised patients continues to be a serious, often fatal infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Fungal Infections: Recent Advances in Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment)
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