Estimates of the number of serious fungal infections in Turkey, (population 79.8M), Norway (5.2M), Malawi (17.7M), Argentina (43.6M) were presented today in Belgrade at the Trends in Medical Mycology (TIMM) meeting.
Fungal asthma was especially common in Argentina and Norway (606 and 340/100,000) and fewer cases in Turkey at 87.3/100,000, although there is likely some duplication between allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and severe asthma with fungal sensitization (SAFS). Superficial fungal infections are also thought to be common in Norway, although Malawi has an extremely high number of tinea capitis cases (670,000 (3,684/100,000)).
A large number of HIV patients in Malawi (980,000 (8% of the population) and Argentina (120,000) indicates that Pneumocystis pneumonia and cryptococcal meningitis are frequent, and in Argentina 379 cases of disseminated histoplasmosis are anticipated. A total of 1,734 and 3,650 cases of fungal keratitis are estimated in Argentina and Malawi, many of which result in blindness. Paracoccidioidomycosis is also endemic in Argentina, with an anticipated 246 cases annually.
These country estimates bring to 71 the number of countries with serious fungal disease burden estimates undertaken by LIFE collaborators, covering 80% of the world’s population.
Burden of Serious Fungal Diseases in Malawi
Burden of Serious Fungal Diseases in Norway