Deadly Fungal Pathogen Appears to be Developing Drug Resistance

May 23, 2011 - PRLog -- Clinical Infectious Diseases recently published a study that discovered azole-resistance markers in 75% of a small group of aspergillosis patients who had not previously been treated with an azole.  Although the study group was small, the findings appear to indicate that there is a growing dissemination of drug-resistant strains of Aspergillus fungi.  Azole antifungal agents are a common option for the treatment of systemic fungal infections, including for aspergillosis.  The research was conducted by the University of Manchester working with colleagues in the United States.  

Aspergillosis is the disease cause by Aspergillus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “There are many different kinds of aspergillosis. One kind is allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (also called ABPA), a condition where the fungus causes allergic respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing and coughing, but does not actually invade and destroy tissue. Another kind of aspergillosis is invasive aspergillosis, a disease that usually affects people with immune system problems. In this condition, the fungus invades and damages tissues in the body. Invasive aspergillosis most commonly affects the lungs, but can also cause infection in many other organs and can spread throughout the body.”

“Since Aspergillus is so common in the environment, most people inhale Aspergillus spores regularly and it is probably impossible to completely avoid breathing in some spores,” stated Susan White, Ph.D., CMC, President of Sussex Environmental Health Consultants (SEHC), a Delaware based environmental consulting firm.  “For most people with a healthy immune system, this does not usually cause harm.  For people with compromised immune systems, breathing in Aspergillus spores, can lead to infection and even death in extreme cases.  Environmental testing can help prevent unnecessary exposures,” she continued.

SEHC recently cosponsor a public outreach video on aspergillosis which can be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_de4qZpwP8Q



To learn more about SEHC’s infection control, environmental, IAQ or health and safety services, please visit http://www.sussexenvironmental.com, email susan.white@mchsi.com or call (302) 947-1810.

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About Sussex Environmental Health Consultants, LLC
SEHC is a certified woman owned business that provides environmental and health and safety consulting services. The company is located in the Mid-Atlantic and services customers nationwide. SEHC provides solutions to clients ranging from homeowners to international Fortune 500 corporations.