Aspergillus Fumigatus, A Deadly Drug-Resistant Fungus Spreading Fast Across US: What We Know So Far
A deadly, drug-resistant fungus is spreading fast across the United States. Scientists have warned that it is fatal enough to rot human tissues from within and the threat could get worse with rising temperatures. Known as Aspergillus fumigatus, a dangerous fungus that can lead to serious health complications, especially in people with weakened immune systems.
What is Aspergillus fumigatus?
Aspergillus fumigatus is an airborne fungus that releases microscopic spores called conidia. These spores are so tiny that they are nearly impossible to avoid and can cause serious lung infections, including aspergillosis.
It can also be found throughout the environment, including in soil, plant matter, and household dust.
Who is at a higher risk?
Individuals with a healthy immune system can fight off spores without any complications. However, inhaling Aspergillus fumigatus can lead to severe infection in some individuals, particularly those with weekend immunity or pre-existing health conditions like cancer, asthma, HIV, or other chronic illnesses.
According to a study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common cause of invasive aspergillosis, a life-threatening fungal infection that primarily affects immunocompromised persons, including those with hematologic malignancies or stem cell or solid organ transplants or those receiving immunosuppressive medications.
Why is it spreading in the US?
According to experts, the fungus is rapidly spreading in warm, humid parts of the US such as Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and California. Additionally, densely populated cities like New York, Houston, and Los Angeles are also at a higher risk due to ageing infrastructure and increased exposure to mould in old buildings.
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Time of India
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Trump aid cuts deal a blow to HIV prevention in Africa
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Sub-Saharan Africa had 390,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2023, or 62% of the global total, according to UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS agency. However, progress has been made: that death toll was down by 56% from 2010, according to the World Health Organization. Now, some of those who've lost access to the preventative medication because of U.S. cutbacks are already testing positive, according to 10 patients, health officials and activists. Restrictions on PrEP have coincided with dwindling supplies of more widely used HIV prevention tools like condoms and lubricants "because of the US funding cuts", according to a UNAIDS fact sheet from May. The combination is creating what nine activists and three medical experts described as a major threat to prevention across the continent. "I just see this as incredibly short-sighted because we were on a winning path," said Linda-Gail Bekker, an HIV expert at the University of Cape Town. 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Many African governments had specifically targeted these groups in their PrEP programs. A spokesperson for the State Department, which oversees USAID and the PEPFAR program, told Reuters it "continues to support lifesaving HIV testing, care and treatment, and prevention of mother to child transmission services approved by the Secretary of State." "All other PEPFAR-funded services are being reviewed for assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson did not directly respond to a question about why the waiver had excluded vulnerable groups from PrEP distribution. In East and Southern Africa, the sub-region that accounts for more than half of all people living with HIV, the U.S. had been funding nearly 45% of HIV prevention programming, UNAIDS said in March. Some countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique were almost entirely dependent on PEPFAR for their HIV prevention programs, the agency said. In some wealthier nations, like South Africa and Kenya, PEPFAR represented less than 25% of spending on HIV prevention. Russell Vought , the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, told a Congressional committee on June 4 that, due to high U.S. debt levels, Africa needed to shoulder more of the burden in fighting AIDS. Asked specifically about restrictions on HIV prevention programs, Vought said: "We believe that many of these nonprofits are not geared toward the viewpoints of the administration." His office did not respond to a request for further details. 'I PRAY TRUMP CHANGES HIS POLICY' Reuters spoke to four PrEP users in Nigeria, all gay or bisexual men, who have tested positive for HIV since January when they stopped being able to obtain more pills, after practicing unsafe sex. Hearty Empowerment and Rights (HER) Initiative, a community-based organisation in southeastern Nigeria, worked with other groups that provide HIV/AIDS services to confirm the men's diagnosis and help secure treatment for them, said executive director Festus Alex Chinaza. In Asaba, the capital of Nigeria's Delta state, Echezona, a 30-year-old gay man who took PrEP pills daily for more than three years, is struggling to come to terms with his HIV-positive test result, which he received in early May. He regrets that he had unprotected sex. "I just pray and wish that Trump actually changes his policy and everything comes back to normal so that the spread and transmission of the virus would be reduced," said Echezona, who asked to be identified only by his first name for fear of stigma. Like the other three men, he described being told by staff at community-based clinics that PrEP was only available to pregnant and lactating women, in line with the Trump administration guidelines. Nigeria has an adult HIV prevalence rate of 1.3% and an estimated 2 million people living with HIV, the fourth-highest total globally, according to UNAIDS. But for so-called key populations, the rates are much higher: 25% for men who have sex with men, according to a survey completed in 2021. The Nigerian health ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the effects of the Trump administration's cuts to HIV prevention services. South Africa - which has an estimated 7.7 million people living with HIV, according to UNAIDS, the highest number in the world - pays for its own PrEP pills. But some clinics where so-called key populations obtained them relied on PEPFAR grants and have been forced to close in recent months. PrEP is also available for free at public health centers, but gay men and sex workers often avoid such facilities, fearing discrimination and harassment, nine activists said. Francois Venter, executive director of the Ezintsha medical research center at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said PrEP distribution from public sector clinics in the city had shown almost no increase since the Trump cuts. Foster Mohale, spokesperson for South Africa's health ministry, said the ministry was "not aware" of reports that key populations were avoiding health facilities due to stigma. "We have sensitized health officials across the country to create (a) conducive environment for all healthcare seekers/clients to access the service without feeling judged or discriminated against," he said. (Reporting and writing by Robbie Corey-BouletAdditional reporting by Seun Sanni in Awka, Nigeria, Nellie Peyton in Johannesburg, Amindeh Blaise Atabong in Yaounde, Ange Adihe Kasongo in Kinshasa, Maxwell Akalaare Adombila in Accra and Jennifer Rigby in London. Editing by Daniel Flynn)
