Nearly 15,000 Vietnamese suffer from lung fungus each year

Vietnam is the world leader in the number of invasive lung fungi, with about 15,000 patients each year, mainly due to Aspergillus.

Aspergillus lung disease causes three groups of diseases : invasive lung fungus, chronic lung fungus and fungal bronchopneumonia . Associate Professor Nguyen Viet Nhung, Director of the Central Lung Hospital, said the above on the occasion of the Aspergillus World Day against fungal diseases , February 19.

Vietnam is also the fifth country with the most chronic fungal disease burden in the world, more than 55,000 cases.

Aspergillus is the most common fungus , found both indoors and outside. People with good immune systems will eliminate this fungus. People with weakened immune systems, when Aspergillus fungus invades, will develop disease. Manifestations of the disease are fever, cough with sputum, dyspnea, chest pain, fatigue, cachexia .

Aspergillus mushrooms.(Photo: Shuterstock).

Treat lung fungus as soon as possible. Patients will have to use antifungal medication in combination with many measures such as immune support, surgery . The treatment time must be over 3 months.

"The mortality rate due to this pathology is about 50-70%. When the invasive fungus spreads strong, it can destroy the entire lung system, causing rapid death , " Dr. Nhung said.

In the world there are about 14.6 million cases, 1.6 million deaths a year, equivalent to the number of deaths from tuberculosis, triple death from malaria. Many countries do not have the resources to diagnose and treat this case.

Vietnam is in the first group of disease detection but faces many difficulties in early diagnosis due to inadequate testing system, limited diagnosis of doctors. Especially this disease is less concerned.

To prevent lung fungus, avoid dusty areas such as construction sites and masks if necessary. Avoid activities involving soil or dust such as working in the yard or garden, wearing protective gear when doing. Wear gloves when handling materials such as soil, moss or manure. If injured, clean skin wounds with soap or water, avoiding fungus invasion.

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