INFECÇÕES FÚNGICAS EMERGENTES: DESAFIOS, DIAGNÓSTICOS, RESISTÊNCIA E IMPACTOS NA SAÚDE

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.641132523059

• Palavras-chave: Fungos oportunistas, Resistência fúngica, Epidemiologia

• Keywords: Opportunistic fungi, Fungal resistance, Epidemiology.

• Abstract: Emerging fungal infections have been gaining prominence in recent years, mainly due to their clinical severity in immunocompromised individuals, the limitation of rapid diagnostic methods, and the increase in resistance to conventional antifungal therapies. In light of this scenario, this study aimed to analyze the main microorganisms of clinical relevance (Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida auris, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans), highlighting their biological characteristics, virulence factors, diagnostic strategies, clinical challenges, and impacts on health. To achieve this, a narrative literature review was conducted, of an exploratory and descriptive nature; 16 scientific articles published between 2020 and 2025 were selected from searches conducted in the Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO, and PubMed databases. The results indicated that C. neoformans remains a relevant cause of meningitis in immunosuppressed individuals, with high mortality. C. auris stands out for its multidrug resistance and rapid hospital dissemination. A. fumigatus shows increasing resistance to azoles, associated with the agricultural use of these compounds, posing an environmental and clinical risk. Meanwhile, C. albicans, although an opportunistic species of the microbiota, continues to pose a challenge due to biofilm formation and persistence in chronic infections. Thus, it is concluded that tackling emerging fungal infections requires integrated efforts in epidemiological surveillance, diagnostic innovation, and development of new antifungal therapies. These measures are essential to reduce the burden of these diseases and mitigate their impact on health systems.