Continuing Shifts in Epidemiology and Antifungal Susceptibility Highlight the Need for Improved Disease Management of Invasive Candidiasis

Abstract

Invasive candidiasis (IC) is a systemic life-threatening infection of immunocompromised humans, but remains a relatively neglected disease among public health authorities. Ongoing assessments of disease epidemiology are needed to identify and map trends of importance that may necessitate improvements in disease management and patient care. Well-established incidence increases, largely due to expanding populations of patients with pre-disposing risk factors, has led to increased clinical use and pressures on antifungal drugs. This has been exacerbated by a lack of fast, accurate diagnostics that have led treatment guidelines to often recommend preventative strategies in the absence of proven infection, resulting in unnecessary antifungal use in many instances. The consequences of this are multifactorial, but a contribution to emerging drug resistance is of primary concern, with high levels of antifungal use heavily implicated in global shifts to more resistant Candida strains. Preserving and expanding the utility and number of antifungals should therefore be of the highest priority. This may be achievable through the development and use of biomarker tests, bringing about a new era in improved antifungal stewardship, as well as novel antifungals that offer favorable profiles by targeting Candida pathogenesis mechanisms over cell viability.