A doctor examines a patient with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis at the National Lung Hospital (Photo: VietnamPlus) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam is one of the five countries with the highest prevalence of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) in the world, with over 55,000 cases reported so far.
Director of the National Lung Hospital Dinh Van Luong revealed the information during a science workshop held by the hospital on February 28.
In Vietnam, approximately 50% of patients who have previously had tuberculosis and seek respiratory specialty care may be diagnosed with lung fungus caused by Aspergillus.
Aspergillosis is a disease caused by Aspergillus, a common mold that lives indoors and in the outdoor environment. It has several types, including invasive aspergillosis (a serious infection in those with weakened immune systems), chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (cavities in the lungs, and can be a long-term condition) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (inflammation of the lungs and allergy symptoms such as coughing and wheezing, but doesn't cause infection).
According to Luong, the disease is more commonly found in individuals with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and those with long-standing chronic illnesses. The prevalence of lung fungus accounts for only 0.02% of all lung-related diseases. However, if not detected and treated promptly, patients with lung fungus have a high risk of mortality.
Aspergillus fungus is highly prevalent, circulating in the air and easily transmissible. Patients with blood cancer and other types of cancer, or those who have undergone organ transplantation or are receiving long-term immunosuppressive therapy, will be seriously affected if they contract an aspergillus fungus.
This type of fungus can cause disease in those with pre-existing lung conditions. Aspergillus fungus gradually and chronically damages the lungs over time. It causes fever, coughing with sputum, dyspnea, chest pain, fatigue, and cachexia.
If not treated, fungal spores can spread and cause diseases in other organs such as fungal meningitis, skin lesions, myositis, endophthalmitis, and even disseminated fungal infections. Patients may die from severe complications such as septicemia, debilitation, or massive hemorrhage.
Dr. Dinh Van Luong, Director of the National Lung Hospital speaks at the workshop. (Photo: VietnamPlus) The cause of lung fungus is primarily attributed to various types of fungi, including Candida, Aspergillus, and Cryptococcus. Among them, Aspergillus is the most commonly encountered type.
Most patients often come to the doctor after having persistent hemoptysis for no apparent reason, persistent fever with chest pain, persistent cough with sputum production, and shortness of breath such as asthma. Additionally, there are cases where patients are diagnosed with pneumonia and undergo prolonged antibiotic treatment without improvement.
According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, Head of the Respiratory Department at the National Lung Hospital, cases that are detected and treated early can be effectively cured with antifungal medications.
Approximately half of the untreated cases result in mortality within five years, she said, adding that a significant portion of late-diagnosed and late-treated cases require surgical intervention and prolonged antifungal treatment, and these cases have a high risk of mortality before and after surgery.
Lung fungus is a silent disease. Common symptoms are fatigue, weight loss, sweating, cough, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood.
Currently, diagnosing lung fungus still poses many challenges in terms of clinical suspicion and necessary tests, Ngoc said.
Patients with lung fungus typically require an initial acute treatment period of about 14 days, followed by a prolonged treatment ranging from six months to one year. The cost of antifungal medications for a patient weighing 50kg can reach up to 10 million VND (423 USD) per day.
The cost of treating lung fungus is often high, putting financial burdens on patients, Ngoc stressed.
To screen and provide treatment for the 90% of people with lung fungus who remain undiagnosed in the community, the National Lung Hospital plans to establish a diagnostic and treatment protocol in accordance with the World Health Organization's standards and relevant regulations of Vietnam, which is expected to be swiftly implemented in hospitals throughout Vietnam.
An expert presents a report at the workshop (Photo: VietnamPlus) Globally, there are nearly 14.6 million cases, causing 1.6 million deaths annually, equivalent to the number from tuberculosis, and triple that from malaria. Many countries do not have the resources to diagnose and treat this disease.
Vietnam, among the top nations in terms of detection, still faces many difficulties in early diagnosis due to inadequate testing methods and a lax attitude towards the disease.
Medical experts advise regularly exercising, eating fresh fruit and vegetables to improve resistance, wear a face mask and avoid dusty areas like construction sites./.
