Fungal infections kill more people than malaria or breast cancer but are not considered a priority, say scientists.
Prof Neil Gow, from the University of Aberdeen, said more than one million people die from fungal infections around the world each year.
Yet there are no vaccines and there is a “pressing need” for new treatments, he said.
The warning comes as doctors in England say a new strain of fungi is causing outbreaks in hospitals.
There are more than five million types of fungi, but only three major groups cause the majority of deaths in people:
- Aspergillus – which affects the lungs
- Cryptococcus – which mainly attacks the brain
- Candida – which infects mucosal membranes including in the mouth and genitals
Read at BBC News