More than 300 million people worldwide are suffering from fungal infections. Why is mold so terrible? How to prevent it?

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More than 300 million people worldwide

Suffering from fungal infection

More than 2 million people die each year from it

…

With the widespread use of hormones , broad-spectrum antibiotics and immunosuppressants , as well as the increasing number of patients with tumors and immunodeficiency, infectious diseases caused by fungi invading the human body have become a major threat to human health , especially the high mortality rate caused by invasive fungal diseases .

In October 2022, the World Health Organization released for the first time a list of 19 fungal pathogens that pose a public health risk, including Aspergillus , Fusarium of the Mucorales order , and many other molds. The increasing incidence of fungal infections has brought a heavy burden to China's patients and medical system, especially during the new coronavirus epidemic. Many patients have combined Aspergillus or Mucor infections, resulting in a high mortality rate.

Is fungal infection a common disease? Which parts of the body can be infected?

In our country, infectious diseases caused by fungi are actually not uncommon in clinical and epidemiological statistics.

Epidemiological analysis of fungal infections in my country: a multicenter retrospective study

A recent multicenter retrospective study on the epidemiology of fungal infections in China showed that infections caused by Aspergillus accounted for the highest proportion of 84.8%, followed by infections caused by Fusarium, Mucorales and Scedosporium. Among the common infectious diseases caused by fungi, infections of the lower respiratory tract , ears , eyes and skin were more common.

There are so many fungi that can cause infection. Are the types of fungi that infect different parts of the body similar?

This multicenter study revealed that the molds that cause infections in different parts of the body have different compositions. For example, among the molds that cause lower respiratory tract infections, Aspergillus accounts for as high as 88.7% , mainly including Aspergillus fumigatus , Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger , Aspergillus terreus , Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus versicolor and other Aspergillus genera , and Mucorales accounts for 1.1%.

Aspergillus accounts for as high as 98.7% of the fungi that cause ear infections , among which Aspergillus terreus is the most common, followed by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger . Aspergillus fumigatus and other Aspergillus account for a relatively low proportion.

Among the fungi that cause eye infections , Fusarium accounts for the highest proportion of over 50% , followed by Aspergillus , among which Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common . Therefore, we can also see that the fungi that cause infections in different parts of the body are not the same. In clinical diagnosis and treatment, we should pay attention to identification and monitoring, and accurately choose treatment plans.

How scary! So many molds can cause human infection. How can we prevent them in our daily lives?

take it easy!

Most people with normal immunity are not easily infected and diseased. However, people who work in humid environments such as farmland, cattle pens and stables for a long time, or people who often come into contact with wild animals and the fur of poultry and birds are more susceptible to disease than ordinary people. Therefore, they need to be extra careful and minimize contact.

Studies have shown that patients with hematological malignancies , organ transplant patients , tumor chemotherapy patients , those who use immunosuppressants for a long time , patients who use broad-spectrum antibiotics for a long time , patients in intensive care units , elderly patients , and those with severe viral or bacterial infections are at high risk of disease, so they should minimize exposure to mold.

For example, air and objects can be disinfected regularly in the hospital, and preventive treatment measures can be actively taken for high-risk groups to prevent the disease from worsening and leading to adverse outcomes.

At the same time, medical institutions should also actively carry out mold identification, active monitoring and other work to provide more accurate mold epidemiological data and experience references for clinical practice and save more patients' lives.

In general, fungal infections pose a major threat to human health, and we need to be vigilant and strengthen prevention and treatment. Only through the joint efforts of the whole society can the spread and harm of fungal infections be effectively controlled.

This article is based on the article "Epidemiological Analysis of Fungal Infections in my country: A Multicenter Retrospective Study" published in the Journal of Peking Union Medical College in 2023, Issue 3

Original author : Zhang Li, Kang Mei, Chen Zhongju, Cao Cunwei, Ma Ling, Zhu Min, Jin Yan, Xia Yun, Chu Yunzhuo, Liu Wenen, Guo Dawen, Huang Ying, Duan Jinju, Wang Junrui, Xu Xuesong, Ma Xiaoling, Li Bin, Liao Kang, Zhu Pengfei, Wang Yao, Xu Yingchun, Mingliang

Editor: Liu Yang and Zhao Na

Proofreading: Li Na, Li Yule, Dong Zhe, Li Huiwen

Producer: Wu Wenming

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