Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Language
English
Publication Date
4-1-2025
Journal
Open Forum Infectious Diseases
DOI
10.1093/ofid/ofaf107
PMID
40242074
PMCID
PMC12001337
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
2-24-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Illicit drug use in the United States continues to rise, alongside an increasing number of severe infections associated with drug use. Surveillance studies report that 28%–34% of candidemia cases are linked to intravenous drug use, with Candida albicans being the most commonly isolated species, followed by Candida parapsilosis and Candida glabrata. Marijuana use is associated with lung infections caused by Aspergillus and the Mucorales, showing a 3.5-fold increased risk of mold infections and a 2.2-fold increased risk for other fungal infections. Intravenous drug use also presents a recognized risk factor for Aspergillus and Mucorales infections. Additionally, substances like cannabis, methamphetamines, and opioids share metabolic pathways with triazoles, a class of antifungal, and terbinafine through the CYP enzyme system. These antifungal drugs strongly inhibit CYP3A4 and CYP2D6, leading to potential drug interactions, adverse effects, overdose risks, and even death.
Keywords
comprehensive review, drug interactions, invasive fungal infections, invasive mycosis, people who use drugs
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Jose Portugal Gonzales and Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, "Fungal Infections in People Who Use Drugs" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 3686.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthmed_docs/3686