Fungicides May Increase Risk of Antibiotic Resistant Fungi (Molds)
In the USA, over 50 million pounds of antibiotics are used annually for both humans and animals. Antibiotics are often given routinely to farm animals even when they are not sick. Such heavy use of pesticides can increase the risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria in hospitals, homes, agricultural areas, indoor and outdoor air, outdoor dust, and water supplies. Antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Closteridium difficile, and VRE (vancomycin resistant enterococci) kill over 60,000 annually in the USA. The heavy and repeated use of antibiotics in humans greatly also greatly increases risk of infections of molds (fungi) such as Candida and other yeasts and Aspergillus.
New research from the Netherlands now indicates that heavy agricultural use of fungicides (chemicals will kill or stop growth of molds or fungi) may increase the risk of antibiotic resistant mold infections in humans.
In recent years, antibiotic resistance in Aspergillus molds has increased dramatically. Systemic Aspergillus infections cause at least 5,000 deaths annually in the USA. In addition, localized lung growth of Aspergillus can cause a life-threatening allergic condition called ABPA= Allergic Broncho Pulmonary Aspergillosis.
Studies with Aspergillus isolated from fields treated with fungicides found that over 90% were resistant to common azole anti-fungal drugs such as fluconazole (Diflucan) and (Nizoral) and itraconazole (Sporanox). Genetic studies have confirmed that Aspergillus collected from patients and from fungicide treated fields contain identical gene mutations which provide resistance to both common fungicides and common anti-fungal drugs. This research suggests that many of antibiotic resistant Aspergillus which infect people developed antibiotic resistance from exposure to agricultural fungicides. This research argues for reducing fungicide use in agriculture to reduce risk of development of ant-biotic resistant fungi (molds).
This research by Verweij et al. was published in the December 2009 Lancet Infectious Diseases.