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Serious fungal infections in Peru

B Bustamante1, D W Denning2, P E Campos3

  • 1Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, San Martin de Porres, Lima 31, Lima, Peru. ana.bustamante@upch.pe.

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases : Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
|February 12, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Fungal diseases affect an estimated 1.9% of Peru's population, with over 581,000 cases. This study provides the first fungal burden estimation in Peru, highlighting data limitations.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Limited epidemiological data exists for fungal diseases in Peru.
  • Estimating the burden of fungal infections has not been previously attempted in the region.
  • Understanding the prevalence of mycoses is crucial for public health planning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the overall burden of fungal diseases in Peru.
  • To identify specific fungal infections and their estimated prevalence in at-risk populations.
  • To highlight the need for improved data collection and surveillance systems.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Peruvian National Institute of Statistics and Informatics, UNAIDS, and Ministry of Health publications.
  • Conducted a literature search for Peruvian data on mycoses and related conditions (asthma, COPD, cancer, transplants).
  • Estimated incidence or prevalence for various fungal diseases in specific at-risk populations.

Main Results:

  • An estimated 581,174 cases of fungal diseases were identified, representing approximately 1.9% of Peru's population in 2015.
  • Major contributors include vulvovaginal candidiasis (498,606 cases), severe asthma with fungal sensitization (29,638), and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (3,593).
  • Other estimated conditions include oral/esophageal candidiasis, candidemia, invasive aspergillosis, and Pneumocystis pneumonia.

Conclusions:

  • This study presents the first estimation of the fungal disease burden in Peru.
  • The estimated figures are likely an underestimation due to underdiagnosis, non-mandatory reporting, and lack of a surveillance system.
  • Refinement of these estimates requires improved data quality and a dedicated fungal disease surveillance system.

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