Thermotolerance, Resistance, and Fungal Dissemination: The Effects of Climate Change on Emerging Mycoses

Climate change is one of the major emerging factors in infectious diseases, particularly due to its impact on the emergence and spread of infectious agents. Climatic events have been associated with increased occurrence and geographic expansion of fungal diseases. This systematic review aimed to investigate how changes in climate patterns contribute to the distribution and incidence of emerging fungal infections. The review addressed the question: “What are the impacts of climate change on the emergence, distribution, and incidence of fungal infections in humans?” A literature search was conducted in PubMed using the descriptors: “Climate Change” OR “Global Warming” OR “Temperature” OR “Environmental Temperature” OR “Extreme Weather” OR “Environmental Factors” AND “Mycoses” OR “Fungal Infections” OR “Opportunistic Fungal Infections” OR “Invasive Fungal Infections” OR “Pathogenic Fungi” AND “Emerging” OR “Emergent” OR “Expansion” OR “Outbreak” OR “Geographical distribution.” Articles published between 2015 and 2025, with open access, including case reports, controlled trials, and reviews, were included. Screening was performed using Rayyan®, and extracted data included study type and main findings regarding the relationship between climate change and fungal infections. A total of 23 articles were analyzed. The main themes identified were: (1) thermal adaptation and heat tolerance in pathogenic fungi (30%), particularly Candida auris and Aspergillus fumigatus; (2) geographic expansion of endemic fungi such as Coccidioides and Histoplasma (22%); (3) emergence of C. auris associated with global warming and antifungal resistance (17%); (4) extreme events such as floods, dust storms, and droughts favoring outbreaks of sporotrichosis, mucormycosis, and coccidioidomycosis (13%); (5) antifungal resistance associated with fungicide use and increased temperatures, especially in Aspergillus spp. (9%); (6) increased cutaneous fungal infections in tropical regions associated with heat and humidity, caused by Trichophyton and Microsporum spp. (4%); and (7) zoonotic risks in climate-affected environments, with reports of Cryptococcus and Aspergillus spp. in animals acting as vectors of human disease (4%). Climate change promotes the emergence of pathogenic fungi, thermal adaptation, and antifungal resistance. These factors expand risks to One Health, highlighting the need for integrated surveillance.