C. auris is an emerging healthcare-associated pathogen associated with high mortality. Treatment options are limited, due to antifungal resistance. WGS analysis suggests nearly simultaneous, and recent, independent emergence of different clonal populations on 3 continents. Risk factors and transmission mechanisms need to be elucidated to guide control measures.
Background Invasive aspergillosis is a well‐known complication of severe influenza pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, recent studies are reporting emergence of aspergillosis in severe COVID‐19 pneumonia, named as COVID‐19 associated aspergillosis (CAPA). Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted in patients with severe COVID‐19 pneumonia from February 2020‐ April 2020. Patients’ ≥18 years of age with clinical features and abnormal chest imaging with confirmed COVID‐19 by RT‐PCR for SARS‐Cov‐2 were included. CAPA was diagnosed based on clinical parameters, radiological findings and mycological data. Data were recorded on a structured proforma and descriptive analysis was performed using Stata ver 12.1. Results A total of 147 patients with confirmed COVID‐19 and 23 (15.6%) patients requiring ICU admission were identified. Aspergillus species were isolated from tracheal aspirates of nine (39.1%) patients and of these five patients (21.7%) were diagnosed with CAPA and four (17.4%) had Aspergillus colonization. The mean age of patients with CAPA was 69 years (Median age: 71, IQR: 24, Range: 51 – 85) and 3/5 patients were male. The most frequent co‐morbid was diabetes mellitus (4/5). The overall fatality rate of COVID‐19 patients with aspergillosis was 44% (4/9). The cause of death was ARDS in all 3 patients with CAPA and the median length of stay was 16 days (IQR: 10; Range 6‐35 days). Conclusion This study highlights the need for comparative studies to establish whether there is an association of aspergillosis and COVID‐19 and the need for screening for fungal infections in severe COVID‐19 patients with certain risk factors.
We compared candidemia due to Candida auris and other non-C.auris cases in hospitalized COVID-19 patients over a period of nine months at our institution. Candidemia cases in all admitted patients (with or without COVID-19) from April-December 2020 were identified. Electronic records were accessed to record clinical data of COVID-19 patients with candidemia. For statistical analysis, independent samples Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous and Fisher's exact test was used for categorical variables. A total of 26 candidemia cases (four C.auris, 22 non-C.auris) in 2438 admitted COVID-19 (10.7 per 1000 admissions) and 59 candidemia cases (six C.auris, 53 non-C.auris) in admitted non-COVID patients (8.2 per 1000 admission) were identified. The proportion of C.auris candidemia in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients was 15.4% and 10% respectively. 4/26 of COVID-19 candidemia patients were aged ≤ 15 years (10 months-15 years). Comparison of C.auris and non-C.auris candidemia cases reveal significant difference in prior antifungal exposure, present in 100% C.auris candidemia versus 27% non-C.auris candidemia patients (p-value 0.014). Although not statistically significant, C.auris candidemia patients had a longer stay in hospital before candidemia (20 vs 9 days), higher isolation rate of multidrug resistant bacteria (100% vs 50%), increased rate of prior colonization of Candida species (50% vs 14%) and lower mean beta-d-glucan levels (48.73 pg/mL vs. 138.146 pg/mL). Both C.auris and non-C.auris COVID-19 patients had similar mortality rate (67% vs 65%). A significant number of critically ill COVID-19 patients developed candidemia in our study highlighting the need for prompt diagnosis and management. Lay Summary 26 candidemia cases (4 Candida auris;22 non-C.auris) in COVID-19 patients (April-December 2020) are reported from Pakistan. Compared to non-C.auris, C.auris candidemia patients had higher prior antifungal exposure, longer hospital stay, higher MDR bacteria and increased rate of Candida colonization.
Background An outbreak of Candida auris began globally in 2014 including Pakistan and since then it has emerged as a nosocomial multi-drug resistant pathogen. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical spectrum and outcome of patients, from a single center in Pakistan, in whom C. auris was isolated. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 92 patients; ≥16 years with at least one culture positive for C. auris, at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan from Sept 2014-Mar 2017.Demographics, clinical history, management and outcome were studied. A logistic regression model was used to identify the risk factors for mortality. Results We identified 92 patients with C. auris (193 isolates), of whom 52.2% were males. Mean age was 54.14 ± 20.4 years. Positive cultures were obtained after a median hospital stay of 14 days. Most patients had a history of surgery (57.6%), antibiotic use (95.6%), ICU stay (44.6%), indwelling lines (88.04%) and isolation of another multi-resistant organism (52.2%).Most patients were symptomatic (70.7%). Amongst these, 38 had candidemia while 27 had non-candidemia infections. Sites of infection included central lines (35), urinary tract (19), peritonitis (4), nosocomial ventriculitis (1), empyema (1), fungal keratitis (1) otitis externa (1) and surgical site (1). Fluconazole resistance was 100% while 28.5 and 7.9% were Voriconazole and Amphotericin resistant respectively. Overall crude mortality was 42.4% while 14-day mortality was 31.5%. Both infected and colonized cases shared similar mortality (46.2% vs 33.3%; p -value = 0.25). Among infected cases mortality was high in candidemia compared to non-candidemia (60.5% vs 25.9%) in which deaths related to C. auris were 34.2% vs 22.2% respectively. On multivariate analysis candidemia (AOR 4.2, 95% CI: 1.09–16.49; p-value = 0.037) was associated with greater mortality with source control being the only protective factor for mortality (AOR 0.22, 95% CI: 0.05–0.92; p-value0.038] while ICU stay, rapidity of blood culture clearance, DM, malignancy and MDR co-infection had no impact. Conclusion Patients with C.auris from a single center in Pakistan have a wide clinical spectrum with line associated infection being the predominant site of infection. Candidemia leads to high mortality while source control improves outcome.
The true burden of fungal infection in Pakistan is unknown. High-risk populations for fungal infections [tuberculosis (TB), diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, asthma, cancer, transplant and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection] are numerous. Here, we estimate the burden of fungal infections to highlight their public health significance. Whole and at-risk population estimates were obtained from the WHO (TB), BREATHE study (COPD), UNAIDS (HIV), GLOBOCAN (cancer) and Heartfile (diabetes). Published data from Pakistan reporting fungal infections rates in general and specific populations were reviewed and used when applicable. Estimates were made for the whole population or specific populations at risk, as previously described in the LIFE methodology. Of the 184,500,000 people in Pakistan, an estimated 3,280,549 (1.78%) are affected by a serious fungal infection, omitting all cutaneous infection, oral candidiasis and allergic fungal sinusitis, which we could not estimate. Compared with other countries, the rates of candidaemia (21/100,000) and mucormycosis (14/100,000) are estimated to be very high, and are based on data from India. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis rates are estimated to be high (39/100,000) because of the high TB burden. Invasive aspergillosis was estimated to be around 5.9/100,000. Fungal keratitis is also problematic in Pakistan, with an estimated rate of 44/100,000. Pakistan probably has a high rate of certain life- or sight-threatening fungal infections.
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