FUNGAL DISEASE AWARENESS WEEK
Fungal Disease Awareness Week – September 15 to 19
Fungal diseases are increasing worldwide and global estimates suggest an annual incidence of 6.5 million invasive fungal infections and communications from several reports indicate that more than one billion people worldwide get a fungal infection each year. The growing threat of fungal infections demands immediate attention as these infections can cause serious illness but can go undiagnosed, being the people with weakened immune systems at the higher risk for most fungal infections.
Resources
Fungal Infections: A Rising Global Concern
A blog post written by ISID Emerging Leader, Afreenish Amir
The global burden of fungal infections is growing at an alarming rate, with misdiagnosis contributing to severe and potentially life-threatening consequences. Global estimates suggest an annual incidence of 6.5 million invasive fungal infections, associated with approximately 3.8 million mortalities, of which 2.5 million (68%; range 35-90%) are directly attributable to these infections. Each year, over 2.1 million people develop invasive aspergillosis, mainly those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, intensive care patients, blood or lung cancer patients, with an alarming 85.2% mortality rate. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis affects 1.84 million people annually, with a significant mortality rate of 18.5% (340,000 deaths). Candida infections claim nearly 1 million lives annually, affecting 1.57 million people worldwide, with a staggering 63.6% mortality rate. Pneumocystis pneumonia claims over 214,000 lives annually, impacting 505,000 individuals worldwide, with a significant mortality rate of 42.4%. Annual estimates indicate that 194,000 individuals develop Cryptococcal meningitis, associated with 147,000 fatalities (75.8% mortality rate)1.