Mutant moulds threaten newest antifungal drugs putting immunocompromised patients at risk

Agrichemical use of antifungals has created moulds with a propensity to evolve resistance to novel drugs to treat fungal infections, including drugs not on the market yet.

The fungus in question, Aspergillus fumigatus, lives on decaying plant matter, but its spores can germinate in the lungs of immunocompromised people. Around 30 million people are at risk of contracting deadly infections from this fungus due to conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases or cancer patients who are immunosuppressed.