Spark Study Buddy (Challenger): Antifungal resistance emerges as a global health threat
Content provided by British Council
[1] Antifungal resistance is not talked about as much as antimicrobial resistance. However, it is growing and making people more at risk of serious infections. These fungal infections, or mycoses, are quite different from the brain-controlling fungus that causes the zombie apocalypse in the popular series and video game The Last of Us. Nonetheless, experts have warned that these infections are becoming more dangerous.
[2] Mycoses resistance to antifungal drugs is on the rise, according to the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The centre has linked the growing resistance to the overuse and misuse of antifungal treatments.
[3] Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacterial infections are no longer effectively treated by antibiotics. The excessive use of antibiotics has worsened this issue.
[4] 'Treatments against pathogenic fungi are used in agriculture as well as in human and animal health,' the CNRS said, pointing out the 'identical resistance mechanisms' shared by antifungals and antibiotics. 'As is the case with overprescribed antibiotics, to which bacteria have become resistant, the massive use of antifungals is leading to a gradual decline in their effectiveness,' the CNRS warned.
[5] It noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) did not draw up a list of 19 particularly dangerous fungi until 2022. 'The incidence and geographical range of fungal diseases are expanding worldwide,' the WHO stated.
[6] The CNRS warned of infections caused by a common mould found in soil called Aspergillus. The infection can cause a lung disease that is dangerous for people with weak immune systems. 'Antimicrobial resistance is emerging in Aspergillus fumigatus,' said the US government's Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).
[7] Other common fungus-caused diseases include blastomycosis, which also affects the lungs, and Candida auris infection, caused by Candida auris. The CDC described it as 'a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spreads easily among patients in healthcare facilities'.
Source: dpa, May 8
Questions
1. In paragraph 1, what does the fungus in The Last of Us do?
2. Antifungal drugs are becoming … on mycoses, according to paragraph 2.
A. less resistant
B. more resistant
C. more effective
D. less effective
3. According to paragraph 3, what has been identified as a factor in the spread of antimicrobial resistance?
4. What does the list mentioned in paragraph 5 consist of?
5. Find a word in paragraph 5 that has a similar meaning to 'increasing'.
6. Complete the following summary using the grammatically correct form of the words 'affect' or 'effect'. (4 marks)
Here are the (i) ___________ of two diseases and how they (ii) ___________ people's health. Blastomycosis has a negative (iv) ___________ on a person's lungs. A common mould in soil called Aspergillus also (iii) ___________ the lungs, causing a dangerous lung disease, especially for people with weak immune systems.
The overuse of antifungals in agriculture and medicine is fuelling the threat of resistance, warned the CNRS and WHO. Photo: Shutterstock
Answers
1. They control human brains and turn people into zombies. (accept all similar answers)
2. D
3. overuse of antibiotics, both as medication and as ingredients in animal feed on farms
4. particularly dangerous fungi
5. expanding
6. (i) effects; (ii) affect; (iii) effect; (iv) affects
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