Candida auris as an emerging fungal pathogen: Is climate change a perfect breeding ground for this fungal pathogen?

Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing level of concern regarding Candida auris. This fungus was initially identified in the auditory canal of an elderly Japanese woman in a medical facility in Tokyo, Japan, in 2009. Over the course of the upcoming decade, the fungus emerged concurrently on four distinct continents, with each strain exhibiting sufficient genetic distinctiveness to dispel the notion of intercontinental disease transmission. With climate change, fungal infection rates have increased throughout the world. In the Indian subcontinent, the temperature has been rising over the years, which could be the leading reason for the increase in fungal infections. Hence, it is postulated that climate change can be the breeding ground for emerging fungal pathogens as they adapt themselves to high temperatures.