New estimate doubles probable deaths from fungal diseases worldwide

The annual total of deaths from fungal diseases worldwide rose to 3.75 million, double the previous estimate, according to a new study.

In an article titled “Global incidence and mortality of serious fungal diseases” published in Lancet infectious diseasesDavid Denning, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Manchester, also calculates an annual total of around 6.55 million acute cases using data from more than 80 countries.

Although fungal diseases have multiple causes, the updated mortality figures nevertheless dwarf deaths from other single pathogens, killing six times as many people as malaria and almost three times as many as tuberculosis.

This work is the result of a collaboration of more than 300 professionals from around the world who contributed to published estimates for their countries and for certain fungal diseases.

Previous estimates were imprecise, Professor Denning says, because many fungal diseases exacerbate an existing disorder, itself often serious, such as leukemia or AIDS.

However, according to the study, about 68% of fungal disease-related deaths, or 2.55 million, were likely to be directly caused by them.

About 1.2 million deaths (32%) were due to another underlying disease, to which fungal diseases contribute.

According to Professor Denning, around a third of the 3.23 million deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worldwide are linked to infection with the fungus Aspergillus.

Although pulmonary tuberculosis was listed as the cause of death in 1.2 million people in 2019, as many as 340,000 (28%) of these could actually be due to fungal diseases, it estimates .

Of the estimated 311,594 leukemia deaths worldwide in 2020, 14,000 (4.5%) could be attributable to aspergillosis, and some to other detected fungal infections.

Annual deaths from lung and bronchus cancer total 1.8 million, with the new estimate indicating that aspergillosis is involved in 49,000 deaths (2.7%) of these.

Candida, another type of fungal infection, is a serious problem in intensive care patients, complex surgery patients, diabetics, cancer and kidney failure patients, as well as premature babies.

Researchers estimate that approximately 1.57 million people suffer from a Candida blood infection or invasive candidiasis, with 995,000 deaths (63.6%) each year.

Professor Denning said: “This work represents the first global, annual estimate of fungal disease incidence, but many gaps and uncertainties remain.

“Our previous estimates of annual mortality were 1.5 to 2 million, but we now see that the likely number of deaths caused by or because of fungal infection is double, at around 3.75 million.

“This estimate is inspired by the massive changes in fungal disease awareness and diagnostic capabilities driven by Global Action For Fungal Infections (GAFFI), in collaboration with the University of Manchester, the Fungal Infection Trust, the Fungal Kingdom program : Threats and opportunities from CIFAR and the GAFFI program. global network of ambassadors.

“This work would also not have been possible without the remarkable collaboration of more than 300 professionals from around the world who contributed to the published estimates for their countries and for each fungal disease.”