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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases May 2021The Republic of Congo (RoC) is one of the African countries with the most histoplasmosis cases reported. This review summarizes the current status regarding... (Review)
Review
The Republic of Congo (RoC) is one of the African countries with the most histoplasmosis cases reported. This review summarizes the current status regarding epidemiology, diagnostic tools, and treatment of histoplasmosis in the RoC. A computerized search was performed from online databases Medline, PubMed, HINARI, and Google Scholar to collect literature on histoplasmosis in the RoC. We found 57 cases of histoplasmosis diagnosed between 1954 and 2019, corresponding to an incidence rate of 1-3 cases each year without significant impact of the AIDS epidemic in the country. Of the 57 cases, 54 (94.7%) were cases of Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii (Hcd) infection, African histoplasmosis. Three cases (5.3%) of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum infection were recorded, but all were acquired outside in the RoC. The patients' ages ranged between 13 months to 60 years. An equal number of cases were observed in adults in the third or fourth decades (n = 14; 24.6%) and in children aged ≤15 years. Skin lesions (46.3%), lymph nodes (37%), and bone lesions (26%) were the most frequent clinical presentations. Most diagnoses were based on histopathology and distinctive large yeast forms seen in tissue. Amphotericin B (AmB) was first line therapy in 65% of the cases and itraconazole (25%) for maintenance therapy. The occurrence of African histoplasmosis in apparently normal children raises the possibility that African histoplasmosis is linked to environmental fungal exposure.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Amphotericin B; Antifungal Agents; Bone and Bones; Child; Child, Preschool; Congo; Environmental Exposure; Female; Histoplasma; Histoplasmosis; Humans; Infant; Itraconazole; Lymph Nodes; Male; Middle Aged; Skin; Young Adult
PubMed: 33956817
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009318 -
Open Forum Infectious Diseases Mar 2023An immunocompetent woman presented with headaches. She previouslyworked at a farm in upstate New York. Brain MRI noted pituitary enlargement and neurosurgerypursued...
An immunocompetent woman presented with headaches. She previouslyworked at a farm in upstate New York. Brain MRI noted pituitary enlargement and neurosurgerypursued trans-sphenoidal pituitary biopsy. Histopathology revealed ill-defined granulomaswith clusters of yeast, consistent with Histoplasma.
PubMed: 37008570
DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad145 -
Medical Mycology Case Reports Sep 2022A 66-year-old man presented with asymptomatic right testicular swelling. He was known to be infected with HIV and was non-adherent to treatment. He was recently treated...
A 66-year-old man presented with asymptomatic right testicular swelling. He was known to be infected with HIV and was non-adherent to treatment. He was recently treated for nasal leishmaniasis. Surgical drainage was performed and eventually, an orchiectomy was required. A post-mortem diagnosis was made of disseminated histoplasmosis. Testicular infection due to is rare, with only a few cases being reported. Here we present a case of testicular histoplasmosis, followed by a literature review.
PubMed: 35651534
DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2022.05.006 -
Revista Da Sociedade Brasileira de... 2022
Topics: Humans; Histoplasmosis; Histoplasma; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections
PubMed: 36542019
DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0378-2022 -
Medicina Clinica Feb 2022
Topics: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Histoplasma; Histoplasmosis; Humans
PubMed: 34253349
DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2021.06.007 -
Medical Mycology Case Reports Jun 2023Immunocompromised patients are at risk of opportunistic infections. This is a 67-year-old woman with systemic sclerosis and knee osteoarthritis who underwent left total...
Immunocompromised patients are at risk of opportunistic infections. This is a 67-year-old woman with systemic sclerosis and knee osteoarthritis who underwent left total knee arthroplasty in 2009. In 2018 she underwent surgery for presumed aseptic loosening. Inflammation and purulent fluid were found; implant was removed and replaced with a static spacer. Three weeks later, was isolated. She was successfully treated with itraconazole for 18 months; cultures on revision spacer replacement surgery were negative.
PubMed: 37063702
DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2023.03.003 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Oct 2022We detected Histoplasma capsulatum in soil and penguin excreta in the Antarctic Peninsula by sequencing after performing species-specific PCR, confirming previous...
We detected Histoplasma capsulatum in soil and penguin excreta in the Antarctic Peninsula by sequencing after performing species-specific PCR, confirming previous observations that this pathogen occurs more broadly than suspected. This finding highlights the need for surveillance of emerging agents of systemic mycoses and their transmission among regions, animals, and humans in Antarctica.
Topics: Animals; Antarctic Regions; Histoplasma; Histoplasmosis; Humans; Mycoses; Soil
PubMed: 36148943
DOI: 10.3201/eid2810.220046 -
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2021Epizootic lymphangitis caused by variety is a debilitating disease incurring considerable economic losses and affecting the welfare of carthorses. Understanding of its...
Epizootic lymphangitis caused by variety is a debilitating disease incurring considerable economic losses and affecting the welfare of carthorses. Understanding of its epidemiology is important for devising effective prevention and control measures. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 4,162 carthorses in 17 towns in Ethiopia between October 2018 and June 2019. Clinical and microscopic examinations, fungal culturing, and polymerase chain reaction were used to undertake this study. The overall prevalence of epizootic lymphangitis was 16.67% (95% CI: 15.55-17.84) in carthorses. Epizootic lymphangitis was detected in carthorses found in 16 of the 17 towns included in the study. The highest prevalence was recorded at Kombolcha Town (33.33; 95% CI: 27.54-39.52) whereas the lowest was recorded at Debre Birhan Town (0.00; 95% CI: 0.00-1.27). The results of univariable firth logistic regression analysis showed that the difference between the prevalence of Kombolcha and the prevalences of all the other towns except Holota and Shashemene were statistically significant. Statistically significantly lower prevalence was observed in other towns. Classification of the cases into different clinical forms showed that 87.18, 4.33, and 0.58% were cutaneous, ocular, and respiratory forms respectively, while the remaining 7.93% (55/694; 95% CI: 6.03-10.19) were classified as mixed form. In terms of the severity of the disease, 28.67, 60.52, and 0.81% were mild, moderate, and severe cases, respectively. The majority of the lesions (43.95%) were observed in the skin followed by forelimbs (14.55%) and neck region (14.27%). Higher mean annual temperature, lower annual rainfall, and higher humidity of the study towns were statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of epizootic lymphangitis. In conclusion this study revealed widespread occurrence of epizootic lymphangitis in carthorses yet a heterogeneous prevalence between towns. The veterinary and livestock authorities should take this into account while devising disease control.
PubMed: 34970614
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.762937 -
Therapeutic Advances in Infectious... 2022Most of the reviews on histoplasmosis documented in literature have been in the adult population. Very few studies highlight the peculiarities associated with... (Review)
Review
Most of the reviews on histoplasmosis documented in literature have been in the adult population. Very few studies highlight the peculiarities associated with histoplasmosis in Africa especially in the pediatric population. This review addresses the above concerns with clinical summaries and diagnosis of some case reports of histoplasmosis in African children. We highlighted 44 case reports of histoplasmosis in African children (1950-2021) distributed across Western Africa (38.6%, = 17), Eastern Africa (9.1%, = 4), Southern Africa (9.1%, = 4), and Central Africa (43.2%, = 19). No case report was found from Northern Africa. The age range was 1-17 years, with a mean of 9.2. Of the 44 case reports, 8 cases (18.2%, 8/44) were caused by , 33 cases (75%, 33/44) were caused by , and specie identification was not found in 3 cases. Only three (6.8%) cases were HIV positive; 56.8% (25/44) were disseminated histoplasmosis, pulmonary histoplasmosis accounted for just one case (2.3%, 1/44). Extrapulmonary presentation included skin lesions (ulcers, fistulas, nodules, patches, pigmentations, papules, and abscesses), bone lesions, osteoarthritis, and fractures. The commonest sites affected were skin ( = 29, 65.9%), bones ( = 20, 45.5%), and lymph nodes ( = 15, 34.1%). Histopathology was the commonest diagnostic method ( = 33, 75%). Amphotericin B was first-line therapy in 45.5% of the cases ( = 20) followed by ketoconazole (20.5%, = 9); 27 cases (61.4%) had favorable outcomes, 8 cases (18.2%) had fatal outcomes, while in 9 cases, the outcome was not revealed. This review revealed several cases of histoplasmosis misdiagnosed as other conditions including tuberculosis ( = 3, 6.8%), pneumonia ( = 1, 2.3%), cancers ( = 4, 9.1%), nephritic syndrome ( = 1, 2.3%), leishmaniasis ( = 1, 2.3%), and hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly syndrome ( = 1, 2.3%). In addition, histoplasmosis was not considered in some case reports even when symptoms were suggestive. Diagnosis of histoplasmosis was made at autopsy with postmortem findings suggestive of histoplasmosis ( = 3, 6.8%). This report highlights the need for a paradigm shift on the part of pediatricians in Africa. They need to look beyond clinical conditions considered common in our environment for this age group and evaluate for other diseases including histoplasmosis.
PubMed: 35083042
DOI: 10.1177/20499361211068592 -
Virulence Dec 2019is a member of a group of fungal pathogens called thermally dimorphic fungi, all of which respond to mammalian body temperature by converting from an environmental mold... (Review)
Review
is a member of a group of fungal pathogens called thermally dimorphic fungi, all of which respond to mammalian body temperature by converting from an environmental mold form into a parasitic host form that causes disease. is a primary fungal pathogen, meaning it is able to cause disease in healthy individuals. We are beginning to understand how host temperature is utilized as a key signal to facilitate growth in the parasitic yeast form and promote production of virulence factors. In recent years, multiple regulators of morphology and virulence have been identified in . Mutations in these regulators render the pathogen unable to convert to the parasitic yeast form. Additionally, several virulence factors have been characterized for their importance in survival and pathogenesis. These virulence factors and regulators can serve as molecular handles for the development of effective drugs and therapeutics to counter infection.
Topics: Animals; Body Temperature; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Histoplasma; Histoplasmosis; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Mice; Mutation; Virulence; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 31560240
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1663596