Tan Caixia, Wu Anhua, Li Chunhui
Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410008, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders (XiangYa Hospital), Changsha, Hunan Province 410008, China; Superbugs and Multidrug Resistant Microbes Infection Control Research Center, Changsha, Hunan Province 410008, China.
Infection Control Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410008, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders (XiangYa Hospital), Changsha, Hunan Province 410008, China; Superbugs and Multidrug Resistant Microbes Infection Control Research Center, Changsha, Hunan Province 410008, China.
J Infect Public Health. 2025 Nov;18(11):102947. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2025.102947. Epub 2025 Aug 29.
On October 25, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its first Fungal Priority Pathogen List (FPPL), classifying Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans), Candida auris (C. auris), Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus), and Candida albicans (C. albicans) as "critical priority" pathogens due to their substantial clinical impact and increasing antifungal resistance. Although bibliometric analyses have been conducted for individual fungal pathogens, a comprehensive and comparative assessment of all four critical pathogens remains lacking. To address this gap, we conducted an integrated bibliometric analysis to analyze global research trends and publication characteristics related to these pathogens, aiming to enhance global awareness and support future preparedness efforts on this important issue.
We conducted a comprehensive search of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database, focusing on English-language review and research articles published from 1983 to 2023. Search terms included the pathogens' names and their Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms in the title. The data, including full records and cited references, were exported and analyzed using Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometrix-Biblioshiny package in RStudio.
A total of 19,785 publications were analyzed, showing an increasing trend in fungal research, with developed countries leading in output. Emerging economies, notably China and Brazil, also showed increasing contributions. Key research areas for C. neoformans included capsule formation, oxidative stress, and clinical impacts such as meningitis. For C. auris, studies focused on multidrug resistance, infection control, and diagnostics. A. fumigatus research emphasized antifungal resistance, virulence, and clinical outcomes, while C. albicans studies highlighted biofilm formation, antifungal resistance, and host immune interactions. Antifungal resistance, particularly in emerging pathogens like C. auris, remains a critical concern.
This analysis demonstrated a growing interest in fungal research and highlighted the need for more focus on fungus-host interactions, environmental adaptation, epidemiology of emerging pathogens, and enhanced international collaboration.
2022年10月25日，世界卫生组织（WHO）发布了首份真菌重点病原体清单（FPPL），将新型隐球菌（C. neoformans）、耳念珠菌（C. auris）、烟曲霉（A. fumigatus）和白念珠菌（C. albicans）列为“极高优先级”病原体，因其具有重大临床影响且真菌耐药性不断增加。尽管已针对个别真菌病原体进行了文献计量分析，但仍缺乏对所有四种重点病原体的全面比较评估。为填补这一空白，我们进行了综合文献计量分析，以分析与这些病原体相关的全球研究趋势和发表特征，旨在提高全球对此重要问题的认识并支持未来的防范工作。
我们对科学网核心合集（WoSCC）数据库进行了全面检索，重点关注1983年至2023年发表的英文综述和研究文章。检索词包括病原体名称及其在标题中的医学主题词（MeSH）。数据，包括完整记录和被引参考文献，被导出并使用Microsoft Excel、VOSviewer、CiteSpace以及RStudio中的Bibliometrix - Biblioshiny包进行分析。
共分析了19,785篇出版物，显示真菌研究呈增长趋势，发达国家在产出方面领先。新兴经济体，特别是中国和巴西，贡献也在增加。新型隐球菌的关键研究领域包括荚膜形成、氧化应激以及脑膜炎等临床影响。对于耳念珠菌，研究集中在多重耐药性、感染控制和诊断方面。烟曲霉研究强调抗真菌耐药性、毒力和临床结果，而白念珠菌研究则突出生物膜形成、抗真菌耐药性和宿主免疫相互作用。抗真菌耐药性，尤其是在耳念珠菌等新兴病原体中，仍然是一个关键问题。
该分析表明对真菌研究的兴趣日益浓厚，并强调需要更多关注真菌与宿主的相互作用、环境适应性、新兴病原体的流行病学以及加强国际合作。
