Coccidioidomycosis in Brazil: Historical Challenges of a Neglected Disease

Overview

Journal J Fungi (Basel)

Date 2021 Jan 30

PMID 33513773

Citations 4

Authors

Rossana Cordeiro

Santiago Moura

Debora Castelo-Branco

Marcos Fabio Rocha

Reginaldo Lima-Neto

Jose Julio Sidrim

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Coccidioidomycosis is a deep-seated fungal infection that occurs exclusively in semiarid areas in the Americas. In Brazil, coccidioidomycosis occurs exclusively in rural areas in the northeast region and affects counties that are hit by recurrent droughts, poverty and economic stagnation. Since 1978, approximately 136 cases of the disease have been reported in Brazil, according to scientific publications. However, a lack of governmental epidemiological data as well as a similarity to tuberculosis have led scientists and experts to assume that a greater number of cases occur in the country, which are not diagnosed and/or reported. In this review, general characteristics of coccidioidomycosis are presented, followed by a description of the main clinical and epidemiological data of cases in Brazil. The purpose of this article is to discuss the inclusion of coccidioidomycosis in the list of neglected tropical diseases. We believe that the adoption of coccidioidomycosis as a neglected tropical disease will enable the creation of an effective epidemiological surveillance system and the development of feasible public health solutions for its control in vulnerable populations.

Citing Articles

Occurrence of coccidioidomycosis in a tertiary hospital in the Brazilian semi-arid region: diagnostic challenges.

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What are the 100 most cited fungal genera?.

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Epidemiological, clinical, and genomic landscape of coccidioidomycosis in northeastern Brazil.

Eulalio K, Kollath D, Martins L, Filho A, Cavalcanti M, Moreira L Nat Commun. 2024; 15(1):3190.

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Clinical Cases of Coccidioidomycosis in the Americas in the Period 1950-2021: Epidemiology Data, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Reyes-Montes M, Leon-Garcia A, Frias-De-Leon M, Acosta-Altamirano G, Sanchez-Saavedra E, Victoriano-Pastelin I Life (Basel). 2023; 13(11).

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