Fungal Infections on the Rise—What Can We Do?

 

“The human body can rise from near death to being healthy again, it just needs to have the right nutrients and environment to heal itself.”

 

All forms of disease seem to be exploding; it is not one factor but the bioaccumulation of multiple breakdowns of our health: ultra processed foods and contaminated drinking water with toxins, metals and plastics but also added fluoride (now proven to diminish IQ in children yet still used in dentist offices and drinking water in many districts). Then there are the nanoparticles used in many foods, beverages, colloidal silver (Doctor’s Choice® never used this technology), drugs, or sporting products. Then there is the latest: the experimental gene therapy jab, which came at a time when everything in health and disease was mounting and ready to burst. The side effects of how COVID-19 was handled and administered and then the experimental solution, it was the Achilles heel that set the forest of disease on fire.

In our last newsletter, we explored the topic of fungal urinary tract infections, COVID-19 and mRNA connections and also the fact that the current treatments do not work. Now we are going to focus on the growing global threat of fungal infections of the skin, nails (tinea/ringworm) and lungs.

Fungal infections – statistics

Fungal infections are one of the most common infections in the world. According to podiatrists, nail fungus affects up to 50% of the general population and 75% for those over the age of 60, and ringworm 25% of the global population. Fungal infections can be caused by several factors, including the very prevalent antibiotic usage because it can lead to weakened autoimmunity. “Antibiotic usage decreases bacteria and thereby favors fungal populations over bacterial populations. This leads to an explanatory hypothesis for the pathogenesis of severe autoimmune diseases by major fungal infections. The increase in fungal populations in individuals susceptible to major fungal infections can also explain the higher incidence of autoimmune diseases.”[1]

The growing threat of fungal infections around the world is getting worse, especially because long-term use of antifungal drugs in high-risk patients is causing drug-resistant fungi to develop. One of the biggest concerns is the highly dangerous and deadly Candida auris strains. Candida auris is a drug-resistant nosocomial pathogen that has a reported mortality rate of 30-50% in infected persons. This makes it more important than ever to step up research efforts to find better ways to tackle and reduce the impact of these infections. “[G]lobal deaths from fungal disease have nearly doubled since 2014 and that approximately 3.8 million deaths annually may be attributed to fungal infections, compared to approximately 2 million deaths in 2012. This figure represents approximately 6.8% of total global deaths”[2] says the recent study[3] by the Manchester Fungal Infection Group at the University of Manchester.

Ringworm affecting skin and nails

Tinea, or dermatophytosis—commonly known as ringworm—is a widespread skin infection caused by fungi (not worms), marked by flat, roundish patches with a raised, scaly edge. Its name likely comes from the ring-shaped pattern often seen in the rash. While the rash can show up on different parts of the body, like the feet, hands, groin, and nails, the ring shape may not appear in every location. Treating ringworm is important to stop it from spreading and causing more discomfort since it is contagious.

People are more likely to get ringworm if they live in tropical areas, experience hot and humid weather, sweat heavily, or play contact sports, live in close quarters, share personal items without proper hygiene, are obese, have diabetes, or wear clothing that rubs the skin. The infection can spread through skin-to-skin contact, touching infected animals, handling contaminated soil, or using items like combs or towels that carry the fungus. Gyms are a bedding ground for ringworm, athletes are particularly at risk due to sweat and close physical contact.

Ringworm can look different depending on the area it affects—for example, athlete’s foot on the feet, jock itch in the groin, scalp ringworm, which is more common in children or nail ringworm. While having HIV does not raise the risk of getting ringworm, people with weakened immune systems might face more severe and harder-to-treat infections. Catching and treating ringworm early is key to easing symptoms, preventing its spread, and avoiding complications from leaving it untreated.

“Experts state that about 20—25% of the population will experience a ringworm infection at any given time”[4] but there are more alarming statistics than that. “Antimicrobial resistance, including antifungal resistance, is an ongoing global emergency. Experts estimate that drug-resistant infections caused roughly 1.3 million deaths around the world in 2019. By 2050 that figure could rise to 10 million deaths each year.”[5]

In the last decade, South Asia has witnessed an epidemic of antifungal-resistant ringworm, attributed to the proliferation of the novel fungus Trichophyton indotineae, causing skin disease in both humans and animals, with experts implicating the likely role of inappropriate use of topical antifungal and corticosteroid medications in its spread. The infection is not limited to South Asia. In 2023 two cases of highly contagious, drug-resistant ringworm infections have been detected in New York City — the first such cases reported in the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[6]

The beauty of Doctor’s Choice® Antifungal Medication Cream is that it natural and works without side effects. It is for topical applications, used in herbal medicine to help relieve all fungal infections such as ringworm.

Fungal invasion of the lungs

Healthy lungs are usually good at fighting off the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (Af), but certain conditions can weaken this natural defense and lead to dangerous infections. According to research published in Science Translational Medicine[7] there are three situations that make people more vulnerable to these infections: severe COVID-19, influenza pneumonia, and the continued use of corticosteroids. Researchers at the University of Calgary working with researchers at McGill University discovered that the immune system relies on a team effort between specific immune cells (B1a lymphocytes), antibodies that can bind to the fungus, and lung neutrophils to keep Af in check. When this system fails, the fungus can invade the lungs and cause serious illness.

According to Dr. Fernando Messina, a medical mycologist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, “the main obstacle in current clinical practice is the low level of awareness among non-specialist physicians regarding the presence of systemic fungal infections, and because these infections are more common than realized, it is vital to consider fungal etiology before starting empirical antibiotic therapy.”[8]

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Calgary and McGill University found that therapy using certain antibodies can restore the defense system and help the body fight off the infection. The research highlights a key pathway in the immune system and points to a potential treatment approach using existing therapies to combat life-threatening fungal infections.

There is help with our natural solutions:

We need to return back to a state of health where our bodies are able to fight off bacteria, viruses, fungal infections and disease in general, that took decades to accumulate and it will take several months of detoxifying, eating and drinking correctly and rebuilding. The human body can rise from near death to being healthy again, it just needs to have the right nutrients and environment to heal itself.

Additional Reading:

 

References:

[1] Roe, Kevin. 2021.

[2] GlobalDataHealthcare. 2024.

[3] Denning, David W. 2024.

[4] Rohde, Rodney E. 2023.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023.

[7] Sarden, Nicole et al. 2022.

[8] Fuentes, Fernando. 2024.