The podcast for discussion is microTalk, which is a podcast that features infectious disease experts and researchers. In the episode “Fun(gus) in the Sun(gus): Fungal Infections with Dr. Neil Clancy,” the speakers discuss the Candida albicans bacteria, which is the leading cause of fungal diseases of skin and tissue in the US, which can lead to fatal outcomes. Dr. Clancy sees patients with fungal infections and thus has vast experience commenting on the topic at hand. He notes that fungal infections have become highly prevalent over the past two to three decades in immunosuppressed hosts, and patients undergoing complex surgeries within acute, cancer, and transplant populations. Notably, 30% of critically ill patients who have undergone complicated gastrointestinal surgery develop an invasive fungal infection (Klose, 2020). Thus, fungal skin and other tissue infections are the most prevalent in high-risk populations whose health has been compromised. Early diagnosis and immediate treatment result in better outcomes for such patients.
The speakers note that people are under-informed about the risks of developing fungal infections, especially in terms of hospitalization. What is challenging is that there are many drug-resistant types of fungal infections, which requires a significant push in drug development and clinician research to address the issue. While fungal infections must be treated with the right drugs, it is crucial to restrict the use to cases in which it is indispensable to avoid resistance development. Even though personalized drug therapy for fungal infections can be an option, the niche is relatively small, which makes drug research and development non-profitable. The podcast concludes with a discussion about the importance of research on fungal infections to discover new treatments and prevention strategies to facilitate the improvement of the population’s health.
Reference
Klose, K. (Executive Producer). (2020). Microtalk [Audio podcast]. American Society for Microbiology.