Publications by authors named "Alexandro Bonifaz"

Chromoblastomycosis, an implantation mycosis, is a neglected tropical disease that causes decreased quality of life, stigma, and disability. The global burden of disease is unknown and data on disease epidemiology and outcomes are severely limited by a lack of access to needed diagnostic tools and therapeutics. The World Health Organization outlined targets for chromoblastomycosis in the Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030, but little progress has been made in initiating and implementing an effective control program globally.

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  • * Other antifungal agents such as terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole have been discussed as alternatives for treating tinea capitis, along with the role of topical therapies.
  • * Oral terbinafine is highlighted as a preferred alternative to griseofulvin, particularly for elderly patients, while fluconazole poses challenges in treating pediatric cases, emphasizing the supportive role of topical treatments in management.
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Introduction: Data on the prevalence of fungal coinfections/superinfections in patients with COVID-19 are limited.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of fungal coinfections/superinfections in patients with COVID-19, as well as risk factors and demographic, clinical, and microbiological characteristics.

Material And Methods: We included patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and a confirmed fungal infection hospitalized in the ICU from March 2020 to December 2021.

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Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is considered a rare disease with high morbidity and mortality risks. Most research on this disease is conducted in pediatric settings. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and outcomes related to HLH in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS) and disseminated histoplasmosis.

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The present study analyses the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with cutaneous fusarium through a systematic review of cases reported in literature. A total of 39 cases were included, of which 53% were men, 30% were women, and in 17% the sex was not specified. The age ranged from 5 to 85 years.

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The second international meeting on endemic mycoses of the Americas (IMEMA) and the first international symposium on implantation mycoses (ISIM) took place in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, on September 25-27, 2023. The conference provided a platform for researchers, clinicians, and experts to discuss the latest developments in the field of endemic and implantation mycoses. Topics included epidemiology, diagnostic advances, treatment strategies, and the impact of environmental factors on the spread of these fungal diseases.

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Cryptococcosis is a major worldwide disseminated invasive fungal infection. Cryptococcosis, particularly in its most lethal manifestation of cryptococcal meningitis, accounts for substantial mortality and morbidity. The breadth of the clinical cryptococcosis syndromes, the different patient types at-risk and affected, and the vastly disparate resource settings where clinicians practice pose a complex array of challenges.

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Background: Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV). One of the most common infections in these patients is candidiasis. This is probably due to the use of systemic immunosuppressants, including oral and intravenous corticosteroids, mainly in megadoses (pulse therapy), although it is unknown if there are other associated factors, in addition to immunosuppressive treatment.

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This study analyzes the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with White Piedra through a systematic review of cases in the literature. A sample of 131 subjects was considered, of which 91.6% were female and most were 18 years of age or younger.

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Article Synopsis
  • Trichobacteriosis, also known as trichomycosis, is a common but asymptomatic infection that affects the hair in the armpits, largely seen in men aged 20-50.
  • A review of 29 articles highlighted that 94% of the 365 cases studied were men, with the majority showing symptoms like changes in hair texture and body odor.
  • The most common treatment was shaving and topical clindamycin, and the infection generally responds well to these treatments, although some patients remain asymptomatic.
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Introduction: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are susceptible to acquire Candida spp. infections, sometimes involving more than one species. The resistance of some species to antimycotic agents can cause treatment failure.

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A case of tinea corporis by observed in Argentina is presented. The patient had a history of having spent 18 months in Tulum, Mexico. She was suffering from tinea corporis in the anterior region of both thighs and the gluteal area.

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is a yeast-like fungus of the Dipodascaceae family, capable of colonizing the skin and the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. We present a 56-year-old man with diabetes mellitus who was admitted to the hospital presenting with fever, cough and hemoptysis. The diagnosis of necrotizing pneumonia was made by direct microscopy of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed and was identified by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight (MALDI-TOF MS®).

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Eumycetoma, a chronic subcutaneous mycosis, responds poorly to the available antifungal treatments and patients often require extensive surgical resection or amputation of the affected limb. More effective treatments are needed for eumycetoma. This article will describe some of the approaches being used to develop and evaluate new treatments for eumycetoma, summarise the latest developments and discuss the challenges that lie ahead.

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  • - Sporotrichosis, a fungal infection mostly spread by animals or plants, has become a major public health concern in South America, particularly with cat transmission contributing to its rise.
  • - A study identified over 118,000 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from various genomes, leading to the development of 15 highly polymorphic markers for effective genetic analysis of the disease.
  • - Genetic analysis revealed three distinct clusters of sporotrichosis populations in Brazil, with significant evidence of genetic diversity and a migration pattern from Rio de Janeiro to northeastern Brazil, highlighting the disease's spread.
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  • Coccidioidomycosis (CM) and paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) are fungal infections prevalent in Latin America and are now recognized by the WHO as significant health threats.
  • Both diseases mainly affect the lungs and are often mistaken for tuberculosis, leading to misdiagnosis.
  • Increased reports of these infections in previously non-endemic areas are attributed to climate change and travel, highlighting the need for better awareness and diagnosis by healthcare providers.
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Routine laboratory methods are not effective in identifying cryptic species resulting in the underreporting of infections caused by non-Candida yeasts. This paper presents the physiological characteristics and antifungal susceptibility of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera 12-771, isolated from a tinea-like lesion. Isolate 12-771 was identified by ITS and D1/D2 analysis as S.

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Objective: Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease caused by more than 70 different microorganisms and identified by the WHO as one of the high-priority diseases for developing diagnostic tests. To ensure the production of diagnostic assays for use by clinical staff in endemic regions, target product profiles (TPPs) were designed.

Methods: We describe the development of two TPPs: one for a diagnostic test able to identify the causative agent of mycetoma and another that would determine when treatment could be stopped.

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Fungal infections of the eye continue to be an important cause of ocular morbidity and loss of vision, particularly in the developing world [...

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