High-level ambient particulate matter before influenza attack with increased incidence of Aspergillus antigenemia in Southern Taiwan, 2016

Yu, Wen Liang; Liu, Wei-Lun; Chan, Khee Siang; Yang, Chengxu; Tan, Che-Kim; Tsai, Chi Lun; Chen, Chin Ming; Chuang, Yin Ching

doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2016.09.001

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Although classical invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) leads to typical pulmonary cavitary lesions in severely immunocompromised patients, there were higher chances of IPA in patients with clinically severe COVID-19 or severe influenza, who were reported to exhibit various types of pulmonary lesions [4][5][6][7][8][9]. IPA can also occur in patients with modified immune impaired disorders or in critically ill patients who are potentially vulnerable to IPA [10][11][12][13][14]. The presence of IPA in 17% of patients suffering from clinically severe COVID-19 or severe influenza in Taiwan [2,[7][8][9][10][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] seemed to be related to a prior high-level ambience.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, co-infections between SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens have become a serious concern in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 [2,4,[7][8][9][10][11]. Many bacterial species, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and several viruses, such as the influenza virus, rhinovirus/enterovirus, non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza, and metapneumovirus, have been reported as possible co-pathogens among COVID-19 patients [4,[7][8][9][10][11]. Rarely, cofungal infections with COVID-19 have also been reported in the literature, and the reported pathogens include Candida, Cryptococcus, Mucorales, and Aspergillus spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Analysis of Fungal and Bacterial Co-Infections in Mortality Cases among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Taipei, Taiwan

Hung

et al. 2022

JoF

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fungal or bacterial co-infections in patients with H1N1 influenza have already been reported in many studies. However, information on the risk factors, complications, and prognosis of mortality cases with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are limited. We aimed to assess 36 mortality cases of 178 hospitalized patients among 339 patients confirmed to have had SARS-CoV-2 infections in a medical center in the Wenshan District of Taipei, Taiwan, between January 2020 and September 2021. Of these 36 mortality cases, 20 (60%) were men, 28 (77.7%) were aged >65 years, and the median age was 76 (54–99) years. Comorbidities such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic kidney disease were more likely to be found in the group with length of stay (LOS) > 7 d. In addition, the laboratory data indicating elevated creatinine-phosphate-kinase (CPK) (p < 0.001) and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) (p = 0.05), and low albumin (p < 0.01) levels were significantly related to poor prognosis and mortality. The respiratory pathogens of early co-infections (LOS < 7 d) in the rapid progression to death group (n = 7 patients) were two bacteria (22.2%) and seven Candida species (77.8.7%). In contrast, pathogens of late co-infections (LOS > 7 d) (n = 27 patients) were 20 bacterial (54.1%), 16 Candida (43.2%), and only 1 Aspergillus (2.7%) species. In conclusion, the risk factors related to COVID-19 mortality in the Wenshan District of Taipei, Taiwan, were old age, comorbidities, and abnormal biomarkers such as low albumin level and elevated CPK and LDH levels. Bacterial co-infections are more common with Gram-negative pathogens. However, fungal co-infections are relatively more common with Candida spp. than Aspergillus in mortality cases of COVID-19.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Fungal and Bacterial Co-Infections in Mortality Cases among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Taipei, Taiwan

Hung

et al. 2022

JoF

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, the addition of local, human-caused fine particulate matter emissions is thought to have had further negative effects on human health during dust-induced inversions (Pandolfi 2014). As these dust clouds also transport substantial amounts of Aspergillus fungal spores (Griffin 2007), they add to fatal interrelations between high particulate matter concentrations, Aspergillus spores and ILI (Yu et al 2018). Moreover, the occurrence of aspergillosis during a COVID-19 pandemic is assumed to increase the risk to get critically ill (Verweij et al 2020).…”

Section: Massive Saharan Dust Storms and Covid-19 Outbreak In A Hotelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peaks of Fine Particulate Matter May Modulate the Spreading and Virulence of COVID-19

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A probe of a patient, seeking help in an emergency ward of a French hospital in late December 2019 because of Influenza like symptoms, was retrospectively tested positive to COVID-19. Despite the early appearance of the virus in Europe, the prevalence and virulence appeared to be low for several weeks, before the spread and severity of symptoms increased exponentially, yet with marked spatial and temporal differences. Here, we compare the possible linkages between peaks of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and the sudden, explosive increase of hospitalizations and mortality rates in the Swiss Canton of Ticino, and the Greater Paris and London regions. We argue that these peaks of fine particulate matter are primarily occurring during thermal inversion of the boundary layer of the atmosphere. We also discuss the influence of Saharan dust intrusions on the COVID-19 outbreak observed in early 2020 on the Canary Islands. We deem it both reasonable and plausible that high PM2.5 concentrations—favored by air temperature inversions or Saharan dust intrusions—are not only modulating but even more so boosting severe outbreaks of COVID-19. Moreover, desert dust events—besides enhancing PM2.5 concentrations—can be a vector for fungal diseases, thereby exacerbating COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. We conclude that the overburdening of the health services and hospitals as well as the high over-mortality observed in various regions of Europe in spring 2020 may be linked to peaks of PM2.5 and likely particular weather situations that have favored the spread and enhanced the virulence of the virus. In the future, we recommended to monitor not only the prevalence of the virus, but also to consider the occurrence of weather situations that can lead to sudden, very explosive COVID-19 outbreaks.

show abstract

“…There is also evidence that these particulate matters could carry pathogenic organisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi etc. with their associated cause of respiratory diseases (Yu et al, 2016;Sun et al, 2018;Sarkar et al, 2019;Matus et al, 2019). Just as in Northern Italy, there has been a sharp increase in cases of COVID-19 in Accra compared to other cities in Ghana.…”

Section: The Role Of Particulate Matter In the Spread Of Sars-cov-2 In The Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19: Implications for Food, Water, Hygiene, Sanitation, and Environmental Safety in Africa: A Case Study in Ghana

Saba¹

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Governments all over the world are currently grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. While some countries were very hard hit, others were only mildly hit but all are still taking measures to mitigate the consequences. The virus emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and spread to most continents by the beginning of March 2020, which led to the World Health Organization declaring it as a pandemic on the 11th of March 2020. Since it was a novel disease, there was limited information on the virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to the same family as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Researchers all over the world started working simultaneously to understand the virus to provide the necessary treatment regime or vaccine in order to reduce the impact of the virus on its victims. Africa and other developing countries with limited resources and poor planning and management are expected to be among the worst hit in the long run. The implications of the COVID-19 on food, water, hygiene, sanitation, and the environment in Africa have been reviewed in this paper, as well as possible implications they may pose to the population, based on the existing common practices and their immediate impacts. This information can assist policymakers in Africa to adequately plan the management of the COVID-19 in order to lessen its impact on the population.

show abstract

High-level ambient particulate matter before influenza attack with increased incidence of Aspergillus antigenemia in Southern Taiwan, 2016

Cited by 16 publications

References 13 publications

Analysis of Fungal and Bacterial Co-Infections in Mortality Cases among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Taipei, Taiwan

Analysis of Fungal and Bacterial Co-Infections in Mortality Cases among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Taipei, Taiwan

Peaks of Fine Particulate Matter May Modulate the Spreading and Virulence of COVID-19

COVID-19: Implications for Food, Water, Hygiene, Sanitation, and Environmental Safety in Africa: A Case Study in Ghana

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About