Infectious Diseases and HIV Conference

Fungal infections are underestimated but seriously threaten public health, especially in immunocompromised patients.

This session will review fungal infections from pathogenesis to diagnostic difficulties and the recent advances in treatment. Fungi are ubiquitous organisms residing in the soil, plants, and even human skin. Most of the fungi are harmless; however, others, including infectious members of the same group, could prove devastating for the subject, especially if their host immunity is compromised.

Some of the fungal pathogens discussed during this session include Candida, Aspergillums, Cryptococcus, and Histoplasma.Their modes of infection as well as the virulence factors that allow them to survive host immune defenses will be covered. Proper diagnosis is one of the greatest challenges in treating the infection.

The traditional methods involved in this include culture and microscopy, which take a very long time to yield results but are never definitive.. This session will highlight emerging diagnostic techniques, molecular methods, and biomarker identification to make it easy and accurate for identifying fungal pathogens.

The armamentarium of antifungal has expanded over the recent years, though the threat of increasing resistance against the antifungal agents is emerging. Participants will gain insight into current investigations that underpin novelty in antifungal therapy, such as new classes of drugs, combination therapies, and strategies to combat resistance.

Discussion will also highlight proper stewardship programs in optimizing the use of antifungal and preventing development of resistance.

It will discuss prevention of fungal infections through public health initiatives in the vulnerable populations.

Working together-from clinicians and researchers to public health officials-we can build better outcomes for patients affected by fungal diseases.

Join us as we dig deeper into the mysteries of fungal infections, share what we know, and strategize on how to improve the rate of diagnosis and treatment in this critical area of infectious disease.