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A prospective, multicenter study of invasive fungal disease caused by molds in children and adults in Chile

Summary

Researchers in Chile studied serious mold infections in 176 hospitalized patients (adults and children) over two years. They found that aspergillosis (a lung infection caused by Aspergillus mold) was the most common, especially in patients whose immune systems were compromised by cancer, transplants, or medications. Interestingly, nearly 40% of cases also involved COVID-19 infection. Although almost all patients received antifungal medications, survival rates were concerning, with about one-third of patients still alive after six months.

Background

Invasive mold diseases (IMDs) are severe complications in immunocompromised patients and an emerging problem in severely ill immunocompetent patients. Limited epidemiological data exists for IMDs in Chile and Latin America. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of IMDs in Chilean children and adults.

Objective

To describe the epidemiological and clinical features of invasive mold diseases in children and adults from 11 reference hospitals in Chile, comparing disease patterns between age groups and identifying special issues in each population.

Results

176 cases were included (135 adults, 41 children) with an overall incidence of 0.4/1,000 admissions. Aspergillosis was most frequent (75.5%), followed by fusariosis in children and mucormycosis in adults. Viral pneumonia, primarily COVID-19, was associated in 40.3% of cases. Overall survival was 68.7% at 30 days, 61.4% at 90 days, and 51.7% at 180 days. No triazole resistance was observed in Aspergillus spp.

Conclusion

This comprehensive study reveals an incidence of 0.4 per 1,000 admissions for IMDs in Chile, with aspergillosis being the most frequent infection. The high association with viral pneumonia reflects COVID-19 impact. Despite nearly universal antifungal therapy, survival rates remained poor, highlighting the need for improved surveillance and management protocols.
  • Published in:PLoS One,
  • Study Type:Prospective Multicenter Observational Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40920793, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330426
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