Fungal infections kill around the same number of people each year as tuberculosis. They mostly take hold in people who are vulnerable because they have a defective immune system caused by an underlying disease, such as cancer, or a viral infection, such as HIV or COVID. Our new study shows that antibiotics can cause immune system defects that increase the risk of dangerous fungal infections.
Candida is a fungus that is a common cause of fungal infections in humans. The yeast infection thrush is caused by Candida. But it can also cause a life-threatening bloodstream infection called invasive candidiasis.
