Antibiotic Resistance and Fungal Infections: Current Challenges in Clinical Microbiology and Therapeutics

Abstract

Antimicrobial drug resistance and invasive fungal infections have emerged as increasing worries in the disciplines of clinical microbiology and medicine. In this secondary research study, scientific literature available through the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science published between 2021 and 2025 was analysed. Information on MIC values, resistance genes, and clinical outcomes was collected and analysed through the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist and Braun and Clarke thematic analysis. A total of eight findings were determined. The GRAM study estimates that 4.71 million deaths due to antibiotic resistance occurred in 2021, of which 1.14 million occurred directly. They are the following carbapenemases: KPC, NDM-1, and OXA-48; mecA, vanA, and mcr-1. The number of Candida auris infection cases in the USA has grown from 476 in 2019 to 4,514 in 2023, with 90 % fluconazole resistance. The mortality rate in the case of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus infections due toCYP51AA mutations (TR34/L98H, TR46/Y121F/T289A) is 60 % in certain patient groups. Antifungal agents are now represented by four different drug classes, and fungal infections in the world result in 3.8 million deaths yearly. Blood culture sensitivity for candidemia detection is only 50 %. According to the WHO 2023 pipeline, there are 97 antibacterial drugs under development, out of which only 12 are truly innovative.