Antifungal use in veterinary practice and emergence of resistance

Invasive fungal infections can cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and different animal species, worldwide. Antifungal therapy remains a central component of protecting human and vertebrate animals against fungal infections. Depending on the strategy chosen, topical and/or systemic drugs can be used based on the clinical picture of the host and mycological identification of the etiologic agent. For effective treatment, it is important to correctly identify the causative agents at the species level, which will enable administration of suitable therapeutics and initiation of appropriate therapeutic modalities. In addition, the management of fungal infections in animals usually includes systemic or topical treatment of the animal and environmental decontamination if necessary. Only a few products are licensed for animals, and, as a consequence, off-label use of the drugs approved for use in humans is quite common. This chapter focuses on the topical and systemic antifungal agents currently in use in veterinary practice. The therapeutic uses that have proved successfully in various animal species are summarized. This chapter also summarizes the currently available evidence for the emergence of resistance against these agents.