Current Pattern in Epidemiology and Antifungal Resistance

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 2200

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Chairwoman at the Department of Dermatology, Hospital Vithas, Vigo, Spain
Interests: dermatovirology; atopic dermatitis; sexually transmitted diseases; fungi
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Hospital General de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Interests: dermatology infectious diseases; mycology; tropical medicine; dermatology; infectious diseases; medical microbiology; obstetrics and gynecology; podiatry public health; environmental and occupational health

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Guest Editor Assistant
Centro de Especialidades Dermatológicas, Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
Interests: fungi; Sporothrix brasiliensis; Sporotrichosis; skin diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi are opportunistic pathogens that can cause infections in individuals with compromised immune systems, which may escalate to become invasive diseases. The epidemiology of invasive fungal infections is changing, with new populations at risk and the emergence of resistance caused by selective pressure arising from increased usage of antifungal agents in prophylaxis, empiric therapy, and agriculture. Limited antifungal therapeutic options are further challenged by drug–drug interactions, toxicity, and constraints in administration routes. The increase in the populations at risk of contracting invasive fungal infections, as well as possible advancements in the diagnosis and identification of these pathogens, have contributed to a significant increase in their incidence in recent years, making them a public health concern. More recently, we have noted an increase in infections caused by novel fungi, known as emerging fungi. This is most likely due to diagnostic advances and improved techniques of identification, but also as a result of increased selection pressure from available antifungal therapies, as many of these rare species are resistant to treatments used in clinical practice. Antifungal resistance continues to grow, evolve, and complicate patient management, despite the introduction of new antifungal agents. In vitro testing of susceptibility is often used to select agents with likely activity against a given infection; however, its most important use is to identify agents that will not work, thereby detecting antifungal resistance. This Special Issue describes the fundamental features of the most prominent fungal infections and their mechanisms of resistance to major antifungal agents.

Dr. Carmen Rodríguez-Cerdeira
Dr. Javier Araiza Santibáñez
Guest Editors

Dr. José Pereira Brunelli
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • Candida albicans
  • Candida auris
  • Candida glabrata
  • Candida parapsilosis
  • Aspergillus fumigatus
  • Cryptococcus neoformans
  • Mucormycosis
  • emerging fungal infections
  • nosocomial transmission
  • determination of antifungal susceptibility
  • resistance to antifungal agents
  • adaptation, rate of mutation and reproduction
  • molecular methods to determine resistance
  • the study of new antifungal agents
  • genotypic characterization techniques
  • invasive infections caused by filamentous fungi
  • antimicrobial peptides with antifungal properties
  • antifungal resistance in dermatophytes

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

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17 pages, 1028 KiB  
Review
Candida auris: A Continuing Threat
by Ashish Bhargava, Katherine Klamer, Mamta Sharma, Daniel Ortiz and Louis Saravolatz
Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 652; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030652 - 13 Mar 2025
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Abstract
Candida auris is a World Health Organization critical-priority fungal pathogen that has variable resistance to antifungal treatments. Multiple clades have been identified through genomic analysis and have appeared in different geographic locations simultaneously. Due to a combination of factors including antifungal resistance, ability [...] Read more.
Candida auris is a World Health Organization critical-priority fungal pathogen that has variable resistance to antifungal treatments. Multiple clades have been identified through genomic analysis and have appeared in different geographic locations simultaneously. Due to a combination of factors including antifungal resistance, ability to colonize and persist in the environment, and thermotolerance, it can thrive. Infected patients are associated with a high mortality rate, especially those with multiple health risk factors like those associated with other Candida species. This review highlights the current situation of this pathogen to help provide guidance for future work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Pattern in Epidemiology and Antifungal Resistance)
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Other

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8 pages, 776 KiB  
Case Report
Primary Cutaneous Nocardiosis (Lymphangitic Type) in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Case Report
by Hilayali Aguilar-Molina, Sonia Toussaint-Caire, Roberto Arenas, Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes, Luary C. Martínez-Chavarría, Rigoberto Hernández-Castro and Carmen Rodriguez-Cerdeira
Microorganisms 2025, 13(5), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13051022 - 29 Apr 2025
Abstract
Cutaneous nocardiosis is an uncommon bacterial infection caused by Nocardia spp.; Nocardia brasiliensis is the agent involved in most cases. This infection is acquired through the direct traumatic inoculation of soil, plants, or other substrates where the bacteria are found. Clinically, it usually [...] Read more.
Cutaneous nocardiosis is an uncommon bacterial infection caused by Nocardia spp.; Nocardia brasiliensis is the agent involved in most cases. This infection is acquired through the direct traumatic inoculation of soil, plants, or other substrates where the bacteria are found. Clinically, it usually manifests as an erythematous ulcerated nodule. In one-third of cases, nodules or gummas are distributed over the lymphatic pathways that resemble lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis. Its manifestations vary and can present acutely or more frequently with a latent clinical picture over time. Diagnosis is established mainly by Gram staining, biopsy, exudate culture, and molecular biology. Nocardia infections can recur, implying that antimicrobial therapy must be prolonged (between 6 and 12 months) and involve monitoring patients for at least 6 months after the end of treatment. Early diagnosis and targeted treatment may reduce patient mortality rates. We report the case of an 82-year-old woman who presented with four nodules with a lymphangitic spread on her left hand and forearm, one week after the trauma. Molecular identification was performed using 16S rDNA gene sequencing, and Nocardia brasiliensis was identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Pattern in Epidemiology and Antifungal Resistance)
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24 pages, 2063 KiB  
Systematic Review
Global Dermatophyte Infections Linked to Human and Animal Health: A Scoping Review
by Aditya K. Gupta, Tong Wang, Susmita, Mesbah Talukder and Wayne L. Bakotic
Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030575 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1054
Abstract
Dermatophytes are commonly encountered pathogens in clinical practice causing superficial infections of the skin, hair, and nails. These pathogens are often found on animals such as livestock (e.g., cattle, rabbits) and pets (e.g., cats, hedgehogs) that can lead to spillover infections in human [...] Read more.
Dermatophytes are commonly encountered pathogens in clinical practice causing superficial infections of the skin, hair, and nails. These pathogens are often found on animals such as livestock (e.g., cattle, rabbits) and pets (e.g., cats, hedgehogs) that can lead to spillover infections in human populations. Here, we reviewed published reports (2009–2024) of dermatophyte infections in animals and in humans with a history of animal contact. A literature search was completed in October 2024 using PubMed, Embase (Ovid), and Web of Science (Core Collection), which identified 250 articles. Generally, dermatophytes tend to infect younger animals with long hair and exhibit a species-specific host range. Microsporum canis was the most commonly reported species—linked to cats—that can cause tinea capitis, especially concerning the development of kerion in children. Trichophyton verrucosum is strongly associated with cattle. The Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex shows a diverse range of animal hosts, with rabbits being most frequently reported; however, T. mentagrophytes var. erinacei is almost exclusively isolated from hedgehogs, and T. mentagrophytes var. benhamiae is more commonly found on rodents (e.g., guinea pigs). Lastly, the geophilic Nannizia gypsea has been isolated from both dogs and cats. Managing dermatophyte zoonoses is an ongoing challenge, as healthcare providers may empirically treat with corticosteroids or antibacterial agents due to its atypical inflammatory appearance. Evidence of in vitro resistance against griseofulvin and fluconazole has been documented in multiple zoonotic dermatophyte species. Resistance development against terbinafine and itraconazole is also a possibility, although the number of reports is scarce. Under the principles of the One Health approach, research on human fungal diseases should take animal and environmental factors into account. A renewed call for increased testing efforts is warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Pattern in Epidemiology and Antifungal Resistance)
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