Correspondence: Reply to Cohen and Denning

Abstract

To the Editor — We agree with Cohen and Denning [1] that the large-scale use of antifungals in agriculture on crops is a potential threat to human populations, because resistant fungi that develop can be transmitted to humans [2]. We also agree that the issue of antimicrobial resistance should not be confined solely to the large-scale use of antibiotics. Overuse of antifungals (especially azole use) is an important issue. We also need to be concerned about possible large-scale use of antivirals in agriculture—for example, reports of amantidine and other anti-influenza antiviral use in poultry in China because of H5N1 outbreaks in fowl flocks [3, 4]—and then with the resultant risk of influenza strains developing resistance to antivirals if acquired by swine and/or humans.