The ESCMID Fungal Infection Study Group (EFISG) is dedicated to fostering a strong network and promoting knowledge sharing through engaging educational activities, insightful conferences, and impactful publications. It's goal is to boost global awareness and management of fungal diseases (FDs) among everyone, from healthcare professionals and researchers to the general public. FDs are a growing threat to public health, driven by a shifting epidemiology, increasing resistance, and limited available treatments. It's within this context that the EFISG steps up as a key global player. They have been at the forefront, advising the World Health Organization (WHO) on prioritising fungal pathogens, and supporting efforts to enhance diagnostics, develop better antifungal treatments, and strengthen resistance surveillance, all in collaboration with international mycology societies.
Together, EFISG is committed to:
Histoplasmosis ISHAM working group meeting
Post-Congress Course ISHAM2025
Interactive course
Date: Saturday 24 May 2025
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Fungal infections are an increasing global health threat, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations—including patients with cancer, HIV, organ transplants, or those in intensive care. Mortality rates remain unacceptably high, yet diagnostic tools are often unavailable, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and treatment options remain limited. Alarmingly, only three antifungal drugs are currently in late-stage clinical trials, and diagnostic capacity falls far short of what is needed for timely and appropriate care.
Despite steady increases in recent years, antifungal resistance still receives limited attention within the broader antimicrobial resistance (AMR) agenda. This gap may have significant consequences in terms of morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, healthcare costs, and adverse outcomes.
To address this, the World Health Organization (WHO) has just published its first-ever reports on antifungal diagnostics and therapeutics—a landmark step that highlights both the urgency of the threat and the historical neglect of fungal pathogens. The WHO calls for enhanced global surveillance, greater investment in research, and stronger cross-sector coordination—including in agriculture, where fungicide use may drive resistance to clinical antifungals.
For ESCMID members, these reports represent a clear call to action: we must push for fungal infections to be fully integrated into AMR strategies, support innovation, and promote collaboration among clinicians, microbiologists, and policymakers.
🔗 https://go.nature.com/3rniybw
Let’s ensure fungal infections are no longer the “neglected dimension” of AMR.
Written by: Antonio Vena (EFISG Educational Officer), Jon Salmanton-García (EFISG Chair), Valentijn Schweitzer (ESCMID AMR Action Communications Officer), Holger Rohde (ESCMID AMR Action Director)
European Study of Cerebral Aspergillosis treated with Isavuconazole (ESCAI): A study by the ESCMID Fungal Infection Study Group.
Serris A, Rautemaa-Richardson R, Laranjinha JD, Candoni A, Garcia-Vidal C, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Hammarström H, Seidel D, Styczynski J, Sabino R, Lamoth F, Prattes J, Warris A, Porcher R, Lanternier F; ESCAI Study Group. Clin Infect Dis. 2024 Oct 15;79(4):936-943
Invasive fungal disease in the immunocompromised host: changing epidemiology, new antifungal therapies, and management challenges.
Giannella M, Lanternier F, Dellière S, Groll AH, Mueller NJ, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Slavin MA; ECCMID study groups on Invasive Fungal Infection and Infection in Immunocompromised Hosts. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2024 Aug 12:S1198-743X(24)00386-0
Inconsistencies within the proposed framework for stabilizing fungal nomenclature risk further confusion.
de Hoog S, Walsh TJ, Ahmed SA, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Alexander BD, Arendrup MC, Babady E, Bai F-Y, Balada-Llasat J-M, Borman A, Chowdhary A, Clark A, Colgrove RC, Cornely OA, Dingle TC, Dufresne PJ, Fuller J, Gangneux J-P, Gibas C, Glasgow H, Graser Y, Guillot J, Groll AH, Haase G, Hanson K, Harrington A, Hawksworth DL, Hayden RT, Hoenigl M, Hubka V, Johnson K, Kus JV, Li R, Meis JF, Lackner M, Lanternier F, Leal SM Jr, Lee F, Lockhart SR, Luethy P, Martin I, Kwon-Chung KJ, Meyer W, Nguyen MH, Ostrosky-Zeichner L, Palavecino E, Pancholi P, Pappas PG, Procop GW, Redhead SA, Rhoads DD, Riedel S, Stevens B, Sullivan KO, Vergidis P, Roilides E, Seyedmousavi A, Tao L, Vicente VA, Vitale RG, Wang Q-M, Wengenack NL, Westblade L, Wiederhold N, White L, Wojewoda CM, Zhang SX. Reply to Kidd et al., J Clin Microbiol. 2024 Apr 10;62(4):e0162523
Invasive Fungal Diseases in Adult Patients in Intensive Care Unit (FUNDICU): 2024 consensus definitions from ESGCIP, EFISG, ESICM, ECMM, MSGERC, ISAC, and ISHAM.
Bassetti M, ... ; Study Group for Infections in Critically Ill Patients of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESGCIP), the Fungal Infection Study Group of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG), the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM), the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM), the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSGERC), the International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC), the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM), the Austrian Society for Medical Mycology (ÖGMM), the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Reanimation, and Intensive Care (SIAARTI), the Italian Society of Anti-Infective Therapy (SITA), and the FUNDICU Collaborators. Intensive Care Med. 2024 Apr;50(4):502-515.
A conceptual framework for nomenclatural stability and validity of medically important fungi: a proposed global consensus guideline for fungal name changes supported by ABP, ASM, CLSI,ECMM, ESCMID-EFISG, EUCAST-AFST, FDLC, IDSA, ISHAM, MMSA, and MSGERC
de Hoog S, Walsh TJ, Ahmed SA, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Alexander BD, Arendrup MC, Babady E, Bai F-Y,Balada-Llasat J-M, Borman A, Chowdhary A, Clark A, Colgrove RC, Cornely OA, Dingle TC, Dufresne PJ, Fuller J, Gangneux J-P, Gibas C, Glasgow H, Gräser Y,Guillot J, Groll AH, Haase G, Hanson K, Harrington A, Hawksworth DL, Hayden RT, Hoenigl M, Hubka V,Johnson K, Kus JV, Li R, Meis JF, Lackner M, Lanternier F, Leal SM Jr, Lee F, Lockhart SR, Luethy P, Martin I,Kwon- Chung KJ, Meyer W, Nguyen MH, Ostrosky-Zeichner L, Palavecino E, Pancholi P, Pappas PG, ProcopGW, Redhead SA, Rhoads DD, Riedel S, Stevens B, Sullivan KO, Vergidis P, Roilides E, Seyedmousavi A, Tao L,Vicente VA, Vitale RG, Wang Q-M, Wengenack NL, Westblade L, Wiederhold N, White L, Wojewoda CM, Zhang SX. Guidelines or Consensus Documents. J Clin Microbiol. 2023;61(11):e0087323.
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in intensive care units: a multicenter study by ESGCIP and EFISG
Daniele Roberto Giacobbe, Silvia Dettori, Vincenzo Di Pilato, Erika Asperges, Lorenzo Ball, Enora Berti,Ola Blennow, Bianca Bruzzone, Laure Calvet, Federico Capra, Marzani, Antonio Casabella, Sofia Choudaly, Anais Dartevel, Gennaro De Pascale, Gabriele Di Meco,Melissa Fallon, Louis-Marie Galerneau, Miguel Gallego, Mauro Giacomini, Adolfo González Sáez, LuiseHänsel, Giancarlo Icardi, Koehler P, Katrien Lagrou, Tobias Lahmer, P. Lewis White, Laura Magnasco,Anna Marchese, Cristina Marelli, Mercedes Marín-Arriaza, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Armand Mekontso-Dessap, Malgorzata Mikulska, Wauters J, Pelosi P, Timsit JF, Bassetti M; JIR-ICU investigators(collaborators); Critically Ill Patients Study Group of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology andInfectious Diseases (ESGCIP), and the Fungal Infection Study Group of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (EFISG).Crit Care. 2023;27(1):323.
Update on the diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia – it is all much clearer now!
16 July 2025 at 15:00 CET
Toward the consensus of definitions for the phenomena of antifungal tolerance and persistence in filamentous fungi
16 June 2025 at 15:30 CET
Battling Candida auris and other fungal threats: A new era of prevention and protection for vulnerable patients
11 June 2025 at 15:00 CET
Post-mortem diagnosis of fungi infection: culture and non-culture mycology, pathology, and public health issues.
28 May 2025 at 16:00 CET
Selected highlights of the ISHAM Fungal Diagnostics Working Group course: Bethesda, USA, 4-5 December 2024
29 April 2025 at 16:00 - 18:00 CET
Update of Invasive Fungal Diseases (IFDs) in immunocompromised children
6 March 2025 at 16:00-18:00 CET
Remaining questions answered by the speakers
Invasive mould wound infection - Lessons from regions under conflicts
18 February 2025 at 15:00-16:00 CET
Remaining questions answered by the speakers
Current concepts in immunotherapy for opportunistic mycoses in patients with hematologic cancer
13 January 2025 at 15:00 CET
If you have questions or comments for our study group, we warmly invite you to contact us!
