Aspergillosis

Aspergillosis Cause/ Overview

It is a disease caused by a common fungus called aspergillus that is found throughout the environment. It is found growing on dead leaves, stored grain, compost piles, or in other decaying vegetation. Most people with healthy immune systems rarely get it. There are many different kinds of aspergillosis. One condition, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis ( ABPA), causes allergic respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing and coughing. Another kind, invasive aspergillosis, invades and damages tissues in the body. Apergilloma is growth of a fungus ball in the lungs. 

Symptoms

There are many different symptoms for the various types of aspergillosis

-wheezing

-coughing

-fever sometime in people with asthma

-allergic sinusitis 

-may cough up bloody mucus

-weight loss

-chest pain

-cough

-shortness of breath

-when it spreads outside the lungs it can affect almost any other organ

Invasive has additional symptoms such as

-bone pain

-blood in urine

-chills

-headaches

-vision problems

-lesions

Treatment

Invasive aspergillosis is a very serious infection, and early treatment is necessary. *Voriconazole is currently first-line treatment for invasive aspergillosis taken orally or through IV. Or other antifingal drugs such as itraconazole, lipid amphotericin formulations, caspofungin, micafungin, and posaconazole. 

Fungus ball

*Usually not treated unless surgery is needed to fix bleeding in lung tissue

ABPA

*Is treated with immunosuppressive drugs like prednisone

Extra

-Most people breathe in Aspergillus spores every day because it is so common. It is probably impossible to completely avoid breathing in some Aspergillus spores. 

-Studies have shown that invasive aspergillosis can occur during building renovation or construction.

Cites

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001326.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/aspergillosis_gi.html