Essay on Fungal Infections in Immunocompromised Hosts

Finally, the diseases that fungal and bacterial pathogens cause are completely different. Fungal diseases are rarer and more likely to be fatal. One of the most fatal fungal pathogens is Candida. Candidiasis infections have many types the most common non-fatal type is oral also known as thrush. Invasive Candidiasis infections occur if Candida yeast gets in your bloodstream and you have a weakened immune system and a yeast infection goes untreated. Candidiasis infections have a forty to fifty percent mortality rate for systemic infections (Hidalgo, 1994-2013). Bacterial diseases are more common and there are so many different types. Some bacterial infections are Botulism, Lyme disease, and gonorrhea. Botulism is a disease that causes neuroparalysis because of a

The condition mostly occurs in people with a compromised or weakened immune system, known as immunocompromised, such as AIDS sufferers, that are more prone to infections and diseases. Fungal meningitis is moderately rare and outbreaks are noticed to occur when airborne yeast cells are inhaled.

HIV is manifested clinically as the development of recurrent, often severe, opportunistic infections, such as respiratory infections, and oral candidiasis (white patches), due to their compromised immune system. Parotid enlargement is another common finding in person with HIV, and the use of illicit drugs, especially by injections positions the patient at high risk of acquiring HIV infection.

Fungal diseases can be detrimental to the health of many organisms in the ecosystem and extremely hard to control the spread. Three once commom tree species in North America have been devastatingly impacted by the spread of Dutch Elm disease, Chestnut blight, and Butternut canker.

weakening the immune system so the fungi can make its way to the lungs then

Although Candida albicans is one of the most common types of yeast we normally house in our intestines, if the delicate balance between Candida and the other bugs is tipped, Candida grows rampantly, which can produce over one hundred different symptoms, beginning with the gut.

Today, there are many different diseases and infections that exist in and around the human body and it’s complex systems, however, some are more common than others. One example of a very common infection is Candidiasis, which is commonly referred to as a yeast infection. Many people can confuse a yeast infection with other infections or diseases. It is important to understand crucial information about what a yeast infection is, treatment options, and prevention methods.

Fungal infections: these affect the skin, nails and hair. They are common and indications are usually mild. However, in individuals with debilitated immune systems, they can be more serious.

· Manage acute infection from the cytopenic (reduction in the number of blood cells ) stages of cancer chemotherapy

There are three major types of GIT candidiasis which include esophageal, nonesophageal and oropharyngeal candidiasis. Oropharyngeal is also referred as the oral thrush which is the Candida infection in the mouth, and it is manifested by burning tongue or mouth, painful mouth, sore, dysphagia and thick whitish patches around the oral mucosa (Contreras & Fuentes, 2013). Moreover, the diffuse white patches and erythema appear on the surface of the throat, tongue, buccal mucosa, and gums. There are five types of oral thrush which include erythematous candidiasis, chronic atrophic candidiasis membranous candidiasis, angular cheilitis and the mixed of the four types (Contreras & Fuentes, 2013). The erythematous candidiasis is manifested by erythematous covering on the soft and hard palates while membranous infection is the most famous differentiated by creamy-white coverings on the mucosal surfaces. Furthermore, the chronic atrophic candidiasis is also known as the denture stomatitis presented by symptoms and signs such as chronic edema and erythema of the mouth lining part that touches the dentures. Additionally, the angular cheilitis is the swelling response characterized by erythema, tenderness, and cracking at the edge of the lips (Hospenthal & Rinaldi, 2015).

For years I had suffered from tiredness, itchy skin, unexplained rashes, and more recently sharp abdominal pains that would not go away. It was just recently that I found out that I had a huge overgrowth of Candida yeast in my system.

Patients with hematologic malignancies are at increased risk for invasive fungal infection (IFI) such as aspergillosis and cryptococcosis, as a result of immunosuppression or organ damage due to the underlying disease or its treatment ( ). Without prophylaxis, the risk of developing IFI is approximately 50% in some groups of patients with hematologic malignancies, especially among patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) ( - ). These IFIs can cause significant morbidity and mortality, and the diagnosis and treatment of infected patients are clinically challenging. Due to the lack of sensitive and specific criteria for the early diagnosis of infections, and the poor response and high costs associated with curative therapies ( ), antifungal prophylaxis is often provided for patients with high risk for IFIs ( ).

Candida albicans is a dimorphic fungus. This means that that C. albicans has to different phenotypic forms, an oval shaped yeast form and a branching hyphal form. C. albicans normal habitat is the mucosal membranes of humans and various other mammals including the mouth, gut, vagina, and sometimes the skin. Normally C. albicans causes no damage and lives symbiotically with the human or animal host, even helping to breakdown minute amounts of fiber that are eaten in the host’s diet. The normal bacterial flora of the gut, mouth, and vaginal mucosa act as a barrier to the over growth of fungal infections like C. albicans. Loss of this normal flora is one of the main predisposing factors to an infection by C. albicans.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic unicellular fungus that is apart of our microbiota and can lead to undesirable infections. This particular microorganism makes up part of the flora in our gut, mouth, and intestine. The populations of Candida albicans that are present in our body are kept under control by the bacteria living in our gut. When yeast start to over populate, it is commonly due to an imbalance in our flora. Furthermore there are many infections that are caused by Candida albicans and the most common occurring infections cause thrush and vulvovaginal candidiasis. Moreover many individuals don’t have a full understanding of the causes and effects of thrush and vulvovaginal candidiasis. Both infections are as equally

Cryptosporidium coccidi or C. parvum is a Protisit organism that causes a parasitic inflammatory gastroenteritis called Cryptosporidiosis. C. parvum is classified into the Protozoa class known as Apicomplexans. The normal habitat for this organism is in aquatic environments and also in moist soil.