UNGAL infections can prove to be fatal
if not diagnosed early. In fact, up to 7 per cent of the patients dying
in tertiary care centres suffer from fungus infection known as “aspergillosis”.
Early diagnosis and therapy can make a difference. But there are not
many centres in the country for diagnosing fungal infections.Cases of
ringworm infection are highest in India. Over 30 per cent of the
population is suffering from it, says a consultant with Centres for
Disease Control (CDC) at Atlanta, Dr A. Padhye.
Dr Padhye, who was in
Chandigarh to attend the fifth National Conference of the Society for
Indian Human and Animal Mycologists, adds that in India there are just
four to five well-equipped centres, including the Post Graduate
Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here. But every
state should have a microbiologist for dealing with fungal infections.
In UK there are only three reference centres. “But then there are 20
hospitals also with diagnostic fungal laboratories”, he reveals.
Giving
details, the doctor asserts that there has been a significant increase
of “opportunist fungal infections” during the past decade as the
population of patients with low immunity continues to grow in India.
They are the ones suffering from AIDS and cancer and even those who have
undergone organ transplant operations.
“In such patients, these
infections do prove fatal if early diagnosis and therapy is not
instituted,” he asserts. “As such awareness and high index of suspicion
is required to make a prompt diagnosis of these fungal infections”.
He
adds that the immune system gets disturbed due to virus, making a person
susceptible to all kinds of infection in the process. “Over six million
people are HIV positive in the country and may develop AIDS. Such
patients can catch fungal infections like “candidos” and
“cryptococcosis” resulting in fatality.
In charge of Finland's
University of Helsinki's Department of Mycology, Dr M.Richardson, said
in the majority of cases you catch fungal infections through the process
of inhalation. You can also catch the infection from animals, including
dogs and cats. Sometimes you can get infected through the
soil.
Regarding remedy, the doctor says that anti-fungal antibiotics
are prescribed to the patients. As diagnosis is very difficult,
medicines, most of the times, are prescribed on the basis of clinical
evidence.
“By using different creams, some of the fungal infections may
disappear for awhile, but can surface again,” the doctor adds.
“Amphotericin is a toxic antibiotic. Its administration should be
monitored. Others medicines include ifraconazole and voriconazole.
Caspofungin is quite expensive. It may cause $ 1,000 a day.”
