11 years ago, a colleague and I estimated that Approximately 2 million people worldwide die from fungal infections each year. My latest estimates put the death toll today at almost double that, at about 3.8 million.
To put this into perspective, it accounts for approximately 6.8% of all deaths worldwide. Coronary heart disease is probably responsible for 16% of total deaths worldwide, followed by stroke at 11%. Smoking-related pulmonary disease (COPD) accounts for 6% of total deaths, of which approximately one-third of the 3,228,000 deaths are caused by fungal infections.
Other global comparative mortality statistics show that pneumonia caused 2.6 million deaths (some of them fungal) and tuberculosis caused 1.208 million deaths (of which most were undiagnosed fungal diseases, with perhaps 340,000 deaths). It is said that there are
To arrive at these estimates, lancet infection – I have determined the proportion of fungal cases that are actually diagnosed and treated versus those that are missed. Although the diagnosis of fungal diseases has improved significantly over the past 10–15 years, access to and practical use of these tests remains limited, and not only in low-income countries.
For example, South Africa has enviable diagnostic services for fungal (cryptococcal) meningitis and bloodstream fungal infections (Candida) but there is no diagnosis for the infection caused by another very common fungus. aspergillus. These gaps contribute significantly to unnecessary deaths. Timely diagnosis is especially necessary in severe cases. aspergillus Ideally, infection within 48 hours could save millions of lives each year.
The most important deadly fungi are: Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus, causing lung infections. Those affected include people with lung diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis and lung cancer, as well as people with leukemia, organ transplant recipients and people in intensive care.
Many of these people die because their doctors didn’t recognize they had a fungal disease, or recognized it too late. However, many deaths are also due to delayed or absent diagnostic tests and lack of effective antifungal drugs. Tests based on fungal culture only identify about one-third of people who actually have a fungal infection.
Unfortunately, like antibiotic resistance, antifungal resistance is a growing problem.Spraying crops with certain types of fungicides has increased significantly. Resistivity It falls into a group of antifungal drugs known as azoles.
Candida Infection is one of the causes of sepsis and is present in the bloodstream. It is also associated with diabetes and/or kidney failure and can become established after major surgery or trauma. This fungus is a normal part of the gut microbiome, but in severe cases it can cross the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream.
Above 1.5 million people Affected around the world by life-threatening threats Candida Given infectious diseases and nearly 1 million deaths annually, better diagnostic tests are urgently needed.Current blood culture tests detect only 40% of life-threatening diseases Candida Infection.
Approximately 50% of the approximately 600,000 deaths due to AIDS to cause For fungal infections. A massive effort is underway around the world to eliminate cryptococcal meningitis as a cause of death, led in part by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
As for AIDS, more research is needed on histoplasmosis in Africa and Southeast Asia, using better tests. Many of these patients are either misdiagnosed with tuberculosis or have a non-fatal co-infection with tuberculosis. histoplasma A condition in which an infection is recognized or treated.
black mold
India experienced the world’s first large-scale mucormycosis outbreak following the novel coronavirus infection. black fungus. The fungus that causes mucormycosis cuts off the blood supply to tissues, causing them to die, hence the common name “black fungus.”
In 2012, my colleagues and I Estimation There are approximately 10,000 mucormycosis patients worldwide. At least 51,000 cases have been reported during the coronavirus pandemic in India, but this large increase is due to excessive steroid use (too high doses, too long duration) and poor management due to the new coronavirus. This is due to factors such as diabetes.
aspergillus and Candida Infection rates among COVID-19 patients in intensive care units around the world were also much higher. In fact, the surge in fungal diseases caused by the coronavirus could be even higher, as newly released fungal disease incidence and mortality figures are not taken into account when compiling them.
double punch
People admitted to intensive care with influenza also have a high chance of being life-threatening. aspergillus Even if infected, the risk of death doubles aspergillus has been diagnosed. In fact, doctors and scientists fear a double whammy epidemic of fungal infections and influenza and other respiratory viruses.
There is also a strong association between fungal allergies and severe or poorly controlled asthma.
Asthma is common, but becomes more of a problem as you get older. Patients with fungal asthma typically require multiple medications and endure flare-ups, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations.
Despite all efforts to control asthma, estimated 461,000 people died All over the world, it is caused every year or as part of a terminal illness.
Fungal diseases still exist. We are surrounded by them, they live in our internal organs and skin.
There is no vaccine against the fungus. Severe fungal diseases occur when people are already sick, except for healthy people and those who live or work in the area. moldy house or work environment. That’s why accurate and timely diagnosis is sorely needed and why fungi need to be taken very seriously.
David W. DenningPrincipal Investigator, Manchester Fungal Infectious Diseases Group; University of Manchester
This article is republished from conversation Under Creative Commons License.read Original work.