Aspergillosis Health Article

Definition

Aspergillosis refers to several forms of disease caused by a fungus in the genus Aspergillus. Aspergillosis fungal infections can occur in the ear canal, eyes, nose, sinus cavities, and lungs. In some individuals, the infection can even invade bone and the membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

Description

Aspergillosis is primarily an infection of the lungs caused by the inhalation of airborne spores of the fungus Aspergillus. Spores are the small particles that most fungi use to reproduce. Although virtually everyone is exposed to this fungus in their daily environment, it rarely causes disease. When Aspergillus does cause disease, however, it usually occurs in those individuals with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised) or who have a history of respiratory ailments. Because it does not present distinctive symptoms, aspergillosis is generally thought to be underdiagnosed and underreported. Furthermore, many patients with the more severe forms of aspergillosis tend to have multiple, complex health problems, such as AIDS or a blood disorder like leukemia, which can further complicate diagnosis and treatment.

Once considered particularly rare, the incidence of reported aspergillosis has risen somewhat with the development of more sophisticated methods of diagnosis and advances made in other areas of medicine, such as with the increased use of certain chemotherapeutic and corticosteroid drugs that are extremely useful in treating various types of cancer but that decrease the individual's immune response, making them more susceptible to other diseases like aspergillosis.

Our advanced ability to perform tissue and organ transplants has also increased the number of people vulnerable to fungal infections. Transplant recipients, particularly those receiving bone marrow or heart transplants, are highly susceptible to Aspergillus, which may be circulating in the hospital air.

Aspergillosis can be a serious, potentially deadly threat for two primary reasons:

• Aspergillosis usually occurs in those individuals who are already ill or have weakened immune systems, such as patients who have undergone chemotherapy for cancer.
• None of the currently available antifungal drugs are reliably effective against Aspergillus.