A global call for talaromycosis to be recognised as a neglected tropical disease

Shanti Narayanasamy, MBBS; Vu Quoc Dat, MD; Nguyen Tat Thanh, MD; Vo Trieu Ly, MD; Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, MD; Kwok-Yung Yuen, MD; Chuanyi Ning, MD; Hao Liang, MD; Linghua Li, MD; Anuradha Chowdhary, MD; Sirida Youngchim, PhD; Khuanchai Supparatpinyo, MD; Ne Myo Aung, MD; Josh Hanson, MBBS; Alex Andrianopoulos, PhD; John Dougherty, MD; Nelesh P Govender, ProfMBBCh; David W Denning, ProfFRCP; Tom Chiller, MD; Guy Thwaites, ProfMD; H Rogier van Doorn, ProfMD; John Perfect, ProfMD; Thuy Le, MD

The Lancet Global Health (Nov 2021)

A global call for talaromycosis to be recognised as a neglected tropical disease

Shanti Narayanasamy, MBBS,
Vu Quoc Dat, MD,
Nguyen Tat Thanh, MD,
Vo Trieu Ly, MD,
Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, MD,
Kwok-Yung Yuen, MD,
Chuanyi Ning, MD,
Hao Liang, MD,
Linghua Li, MD,
Anuradha Chowdhary, MD,
Sirida Youngchim, PhD,
Khuanchai Supparatpinyo, MD,
Ne Myo Aung, MD,
Josh Hanson, MBBS,
Alex Andrianopoulos, PhD,
John Dougherty, MD,
Nelesh P Govender, ProfMBBCh,
David W Denning, ProfFRCP,
Tom Chiller, MD,
Guy Thwaites, ProfMD,
H Rogier van Doorn, ProfMD,
John Perfect, ProfMD,
Thuy Le, MD

Affiliations

Shanti Narayanasamy, MBBS: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Vu Quoc Dat, MD: Department of Medicine, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam; Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hanoi, Vietnam
Nguyen Tat Thanh, MD: Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Vo Trieu Ly, MD: Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Ward E, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, MD: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, and Hainan Medical University-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
Kwok-Yung Yuen, MD: State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, and Hainan Medical University-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
Chuanyi Ning, MD: BSL-3 Lab Core and Guangxi Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, China
Hao Liang, MD: BSL-3 Lab Core and Guangxi Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, China
Linghua Li, MD: Infectious Disease Center, Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Anuradha Chowdhary, MD: Medical Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
Sirida Youngchim, PhD: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Khuanchai Supparatpinyo, MD: Department of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Ne Myo Aung, MD: Department of Medicine, University of Medicine 2, Yangon, Myanmar
Josh Hanson, MBBS: Department of Medicine, University of Medicine 2, Yangon, Myanmar; The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Alex Andrianopoulos, PhD: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
John Dougherty, MD: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Nelesh P Govender, ProfMBBCh: National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
David W Denning, ProfFRCP: Manchester Fungal Infection Group, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections, Geneva, Switzerland
Tom Chiller, MD: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
Guy Thwaites, ProfMD: Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hanoi, Vietnam; Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
H Rogier van Doorn, ProfMD: Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hanoi, Vietnam; Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
John Perfect, ProfMD: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Thuy Le, MD: Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hanoi, Vietnam; Correspondence to: Dr Thuy Le, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 11
pp. e1618 – e1622

Abstract

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Summary: Talaromycosis (penicilliosis) is an invasive mycosis that is endemic in tropical and subtropical Asia. Talaromycosis primarily affects individuals with advanced HIV disease and other immunosuppressive conditions, and the disease disproportionally affects people in low-income and middle-income countries, particularly agricultural workers in rural areas during their most economically productive years. Approximately 17 300 talaromycosis cases and 4900 associated deaths occur annually. Talaromycosis is highly associated with the tropical monsoon season, when flooding and cyclones can exacerbate the poverty-inducing potential of the disease. Talaromycosis can present as localised or disseminated disease, the latter causing cutaneous lesions that are disfiguring and stigmatising. Despite up to a third of diagnosed cases resulting in death, talaromycosis has received little attention and investment from regional and global funders, policy makers, researchers, and industry. Diagnostic and treatment modalities remain extremely insufficient, however control of talaromycosis is feasible with known public health strategies. This Viewpoint is a global call for talaromycosis to be recognised as a neglected tropical disease to alleviate its impact on susceptible populations.

Published in The Lancet Global Health

ISSN: 2214-109X (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Public aspects of medicine
Website: http://www.lancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

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