Latest news with #fungalinfection
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fungal test could save people from fatal infection
A new test which creators say could one day save the lives of people suffering from a deadly fungal infection is being developed at the University of Exeter. Mucormycosis, commonly known as black fungus disease, spiked during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, Professor Chris Thornton, a professor in fungal immunology at the university, has developed a prototype lateral flow test, which could save valuable time in getting patients the treatment they need. The test has been validated using patient samples could be ready to use in hospitals within three years if it passes regulatory checks, project leaders said. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon The fugal spores that cause black fungus disease are ever-present in the environment and harmless for most people. The disease is rare and thought to only affect those with compromised immunity. However, a combination of Covid infection, poorly-managed diabetes and an over-use of steroids to control lung inflammation from Covid led to a spike in infections. In 2021, there was an epidemic in India, with 40,000 cases leading to 3,500 deaths. Many of the survivors were left with facial disfigurements. Although still at prototype stage, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology has shown the new test to be swift and accurate in identifying the disease. Professor Thornton, co-author of the study, said: "Mucormycosis is an horrific disease, which spreads rapidly in the body and can leave people horribly facially disfigured, and is often fatal." "Early diagnosis is crucial for the best outcome. This study shows that our new test is quick and effective. "These exciting results are a critical milestone in the development and validation of the test, which we aim to commercialise in the next three years." The study was conducted in partnership with colleagues at Besançon University hospital in France. Researchers tested the device in patients with mucormycosis, patients with other fungal infections, and patients without fungal infections. The test detects mucormycosis in 30 minutes with a high level of specificity and sensitivity. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ The deadly 'black fungus' maiming Covid patients India reports nearly 9,000 'black fungus' cases Why has India got so many 'black fungus' cases? University of Exeter
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Lateral flow test could save people from deadly fungal infection
A new test which creators say could one day save the lives of people suffering from a deadly fungal infection is being developed at the University of commonly known as black fungus disease, spiked during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, Professor Chris Thornton, a professor in fungal immunology at the university, has developed a prototype lateral flow test, which could save valuable time in getting patients the treatment they test has been validated using patient samples could be ready to use in hospitals within three years if it passes regulatory checks, project leaders said. The fugal spores that cause black fungus disease are ever-present in the environment and harmless for most people. The disease is rare and thought to only affect those with compromised immunity. However, a combination of Covid infection, poorly-managed diabetes and an over-use of steroids to control lung inflammation from Covid led to a spike in infections. In 2021, there was an epidemic in India, with 40,000 cases leading to 3,500 deaths. Many of the survivors were left with facial still at prototype stage, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology has shown the new test to be swift and accurate in identifying the disease. Professor Thornton, co-author of the study, said: "Mucormycosis is an horrific disease, which spreads rapidly in the body and can leave people horribly facially disfigured, and is often fatal.""Early diagnosis is crucial for the best outcome. This study shows that our new test is quick and effective. "These exciting results are a critical milestone in the development and validation of the test, which we aim to commercialise in the next three years." The study was conducted in partnership with colleagues at Besançon University hospital in France. Researchers tested the device in patients with mucormycosis, patients with other fungal infections, and patients without fungal infections. The test detects mucormycosis in 30 minutes with a high level of specificity and sensitivity.
Health Line
24-06-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Why Isn't My Jock Itch Going Away? What to Do
Some practices can make jock itch worse or prevent it from healing. But other health conditions may resemble jock itch and require different treatment options. Jock itch happens when a specific species of fungus builds up on the skin, growing out of control and causing inflammation. It's also called tinea cruris. Common symptoms of jock itch include: redness or other color changes irritation itchiness that doesn't go away scaling or dryness Most cases of jock itch are mild and easily treated. But there are some activities and 'treatments' that can make jock itch symptoms last longer. Let's dive into what can make jock itch worse, how to tell jock itch apart from other similar conditions, and how to successfully treat jock itch. What can make the symptoms of jock itch worse? There are a few things you might do that unintentionally make your jock itch worse. Here are some examples: Working out. This can cause the infected skin to chafe against nearby skin or clothing and irritate it, making the skin more susceptible to a worsening infection. Having poor hygiene habits. Using improperly cleaned, damp towels or clothing and not keeping skin dry may promote infection. Using the wrong treatment. Spreading an anti-itch cream, such as hydrocortisone, on the infected area won't treat the infection. In fact, it can actually worsen it. Steroid medications suppress your immune system, which can increase the area of the infection or make the infection worse. Having a weakened immune system. Taking immunosuppressants for autoimmune disorders or having a weakened immune system from medication or conditions like HIV can make it harder for your body to fight off fungal infections. How to tell if jock itch is going away With early and proper treatment, jock itch should go away within about a month. Here are some signs that your jock itch is going away: How to treat severe or resistant groin itching Got an especially severe or resistant case of groin itching? Here's what you should do if over-the-counter (OTC) topical treatments don't work. Take antifungal medication A doctor may prescribe medication for severe jock itch. Here are some of the options: oral medications like fluconazole (Diflucan) topicals like clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF), butenafine, or terbinafine (Lamisil) Use an antifungal shampoo Medicated shampoos that contain ketoconazole or selenium sulfide are a good, strong treatment for jock itch symptoms. They're available by prescription from your doctor or over the counter. They don't typically have side effects, and OTC versions are easy to buy at most drugstores. What if it isn't jock itch? Some conditions look like jock itch, but they aren't, so they won't respond to typical tinea cruris treatment. Inverse psoriasis Inverse psoriasis is a type of psoriasis, an autoimmune condition, that may have a genetic basis. Like jock itch, it tends to appear in the same areas where you skin chafes, like your groin or inner thighs. Some common treatments for inverse psoriasis include: prescription topicals oral medications biologics Yeast infection (thrush) Yeast infections are a similar type of fungal infection caused by the fungus Candida. They're more common in people with vulvas, but they can also affect the penis from the head and shaft to the scrotum and the nearby groin skin. Common treatments for yeast infections include: antifungal topicals like nystatin or clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF) oral antifungal medications, for more severe cases Erythrasma Erythrasma is an itchy, scaly bacterial infection, caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium minutissimum, that often grows in the folds of skin. It is commonly misdiagnosed as jock itch and can lead to severe symptoms like abscesses and fistulas under the skin. Risk factors for this infection include excessive sweating, humid environments, diabetes, age, and obesity. It is treated with antibiotics like erythromycin or clindamycin. When to see a doctor See a doctor if you've used OTC treatments but haven't seen any improvements in your symptoms after 2 weeks. A doctor may be able to prescribe you a medication that can help, or they can evaluate you for another type of skin disorder that can mimic jock itch. How to prevent jock itch Here are some tips for preventing jock itch: Wash your hands regularly. This is especially important when you touch other people or are about to eat with your hands. Keep the moist areas of your body clean and dry. This is especially important for areas around your groin and upper thighs. Bathe at least once a day. Make sure to use gentle, unscented soap and dry off completely before putting clothes on. Bathe more than once a day if you're active or sweat profusely throughout the day. Don't wear tight clothing. It can trap moisture and cause skin to chafe. Wear loose-fitting cotton underwear. It'll let your groin and thighs ventilate, especially if you live in a humid climate. Wash your workout clothes or any equipment your body touches after a sweaty workout. Have athlete's foot? Don't use the same towel on your feet and other areas of your body. Athlete's foot and jock itch are both caused by tinea fungi and can spread to one another. Treating athlete's foot is important for preventing jock itch.
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How your compost heap can hide a lethal superfungus that destroys lungs and kills 85 per cent of those infected. Doctors warn of growing threat as sufferer Lisa says: 'My life was stripped away.' Special report by JOHN NAISH
Lisa McNeil, 54, a married mother of two from Blackpool, knows all too well the gruelling rigours of living with a chronic fungal infection. For the past 13 years she's had to take highly toxic medication to keep the potentially lethal fungus at bay – including one drug so poisonous that no one can be in the room with her when she administers it.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Family vacation takes hellish turn as relatives come down with cancer-like disease
A family vacation to Costa Rica turned into a trip from hell after 12 of 13 relatives were diagnosed with a potentially fatal fungal infection. The family, who traveled from Texas, Washington and Georgia, had been exploring the Venado Caves in the north of the country, which involved crawling through tight spaces to see scores of live bats. After returning to the US the following week, 12 family members had started to fall sick with a fever, headache, muscle pain, night sweats, breathing problems and indigestion. Five sought help from doctors, while one was hospitalized after scans showed changes in the lungs that looked like lung cancer. The family was eventually diagnosed with histoplasmosis — a bat-linked infection caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. People become infected after inhaling spores of the fungus that thrive in bat feces. Doctors say up to 40 percent of people with serious cases die from the disease, which infects the lungs and in serious cases spreads to other organs including the brain and spinal cord. No family members died from the infection, and within 28 days of the cave visit — and following treatment — all were making a recovery. But the CDC, which investigated the cases, said it underscored the dangers of visiting bat-infested caves and crawling through feces. The news comes on the eve of the finale of The Last of Us season two, a hit HBO series where the modern world is turned on its head after whole cities are infected with a fungus that turns them into rabid zombies. Histoplasmosis is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late because it symptoms, which are similar to pneumonia, can be mistaken for a bacteria or fungus. The fungus behind the infection is spread in bird and bat droppings, and also lives in the soil — including in the central and eastern US. It does not spread between people, and also does not spread between animals if they become infected with the fungus. Revealing the cases in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, the CDC said only one family member did not get sick — the individual who did not go on the cave tour. The family visited the caves on Christmas Eve 2024. They were in Costa Rica for a week, from December 21 to 28. Of the sick patients, six family members were adults aged between 42 and 49 years old and six were children, aged between eight and 16 years old. Only two family members tested positive for the fungus out of the four tested using a swab for fungus-fighting antibodies in the blood. Researchers said more family members were likely infected, however, adding that in more mild cases it can be difficult to detect the antibodies in tests. The other 11 patients were suspected to have the disease, given the trip and their links to the patient who tested positive. The caves were also linked to a histoplasmosis outbreak between 1998 and 1999 that sickened 51 people, including tourists and Costa Rican residents. Tests carried out on bat feces samples from the cave revealed they contained the fungus that causes the disease. Symptoms appeared within eight to 19 days of visiting the caves, with no family members reporting other sources of infection since the trip. Doctors are recommended to prescribe the antifungal itraconazole to treat the infection, but only in more serious cases. In mild cases of the fungal infection, the disease normally goes away on its own. Some family members were initially prescribed antibiotics, which is not recommended because these could worsen the infection. The prescriptions suggest that the fungal infection was not initially suspected. The CDC says the fungus that causes histoplasmosis lives along the Ohio and Mississippi river deltas. It has been detected in states in eastern, southern and midwestern areas of the country. The American Thoracic Society estimates that up to 250,000 people suffer from histoplasmosis in the US every year. Few of these cases are formally diagnosed and reported, however, with only about 4,600 cases recorded annually according to CDC data.
