Recognition of fungal priority pathogens: What next?

Abstract

Fungal diseases kill more than 1.5 million people per year, mostly in regions where neglected populations live This alarming number of deaths is part of a highly complex problem, since mortality alone does not give a complete picture of the fungal burden in different populations Indeed, several fungal diseases are associated with low mortality but directly linked to social exclusion and hospitalization. For instance, patients suffering from chromoblastomycosis manifest chronic and progressive cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions that can persist for decades Affected individuals may have significant mental health issues associated with this rare and chronic condition Fungal infections are the most diagnosed skin disease in Africa, especially in 1-to 5-years-old children These and other examples demonstrate that the burden of fungal infections is not restricted to mortality. Another way of measuring the impact of fungi on public health is to determine their overall burden of disease using the disability-adjusted life year (DALY). One DALY represents the loss of the equivalent of 1 year of full health However, with a few exceptions [5,7-10], DALY estimates are not available for most of the fungal diseases.

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