Fungal Disease Awareness Week - We are more aware of bacterial infections, and think less of fungus and concentrating on detecting methods of MDR Bacterial strains, Many developed countries face many challenges with fungal infections as the cause of terminal illness The CDC organized the event to highlight the importance of considering fungal diseases, which often go undiagnosed, when treating an infection. The agency is asking physicians and patients with infections to “Think Fungus” if patients’ symptoms persist despite treatment. “Fungal diseases can cause serious illnesses and death, yet often go undiagnosed because their symptoms look like those of other diseases,” Clinicians who fail to correctly diagnose fungal infections may over prescribe antimicrobial, increasing drug resistance worldwide, according to a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The report describes four commonly misdiagnosed fungal diseases that require attention to improve antimicrobial treatment:
• Many patients with smear-negative tuberculosis may have Aspergillus spp. infection, which is diagnosed with a simple antibody test and is treated with less-expensive antifungal drugs vs. TB drugs;
• An inaccurate diagnosis of fungal sepsis can lead to invasive candidacies and prescriptions of inappropriate broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs;
• Fungal asthma, often misdiagnosed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, does not respond to antibacterial drugs, but can be treated with antifungal agents after diagnosis with skin and blood tests; and
• Over treatment/under treatment of Pneumocystis pneumonia in patients with HIV.
The week is an opportunity for partners to get people with infections to 'think fungus' if their symptoms are not getting better with treatment and to talk to their doctor about the possibility of a fungal infection," said the CDC. "Doctors are encouraged to 'think Fungus' if patients have symptoms that are not improving with treatment, particularly patients with weakened immune systems."
We need to pay attention when specimens come to our laboratories and we are reporting as sterile however they are only in relation to bacterial pathogens we are less on to think of fungus and certainly need more attention to imagine and try to think on emerging fungal pathogens
Resources -The CDC Fungal Disease Awareness Week from Aug. 14–18, 2017.
Topic if interest to New generation of Medical Microbiologists
Dr.T.V.Rao Freelance reporter / Clinical Microbiologist on Afro Asian resources