Rare Yeasts in Latin America: Uncommon Yet Meaningful

Abstract

Systemic infections caused by rare yeasts are increasing given the rise in immunocompromised or seriously ill patients. Even though globally, the clinical significance of these emerging opportunistic yeasts is increasingly being recognized, less is known about the epidemiology of rare yeasts in Latin America. This review collects, analyzes, and contributes demographic and clinical data from 495 cases of infection caused by rare yeasts in the region. Among all cases, 32 species of rare yeasts, distributed in 12 genera, have been reported in 8 Latin American countries, with Trichosporon asahii (49.5%), Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (11.1%), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (7.8%) the most common species found. Patients were mostly male (58.3%), from neonates to 84 years of age. Statistically, surgery and antibiotic use were associated with higher rates of Trichosporon infections, while central venous catheter, leukemia, and cancer were associated with higher rates of Rhodotorula infections. From all cases, fungemia was the predominant diagnosis (50.3%). Patients were mostly treated with amphotericin B (58.7%). Crude mortality was 40.8%, with a higher risk of death from fungemia and T. asahii infections. Culture was the main diagnostic methodology. Antifungal resistance to one or more drugs was reported in various species of rare yeasts.

Update of the list of qualified presumption of safety (QPS) recommended microbiological agents intentionally added to food or feed as notified to EFSA 20: Suitability of taxonomic units notified to EFSA until March 2024

“…A review article (Gil et al, 2023) was related to human safety concerns. This review analyses demographic and clinical data from 495 cases of infections caused by rare yeasts in eight Latin American countries.…”

“…Eight scientific articles were associated with human safety concerns (Al-Manei et al, 2023;Gil et al, 2023;Jabbar et al, 2022;Mayer et al, 2023;Menu et al, 2023;Nawaz et al, 2022;Osset-Trénor et al 2023Sig et al, 2023 and all of them present identification problems and/or predisposing factors with one exception (Osset-Trénor et al, 2023). This publication is a review where the authors discuss the mechanisms for developing antimycotic resistance in pathogenic fungi and the prospects of developing new strategies and antimycotics to combat this problem.…”

“…Synonyms of this species are Endomyces anomalus, Pichia anomala, Willia anomala, Hansenula anomala. Four scientific articles contributed information related to human safety concerns (Galván Ledesma et al, 2023, Gil et al, 2023, Higgins et al, 2023, Warghade et al, 2023. Galván Ledesma et al (2023) describe a postoperative fungal endophthalmitis caused by W. anomalus in a 77-year-old male who had undergone surgery for a right eye cataract.…”

Comparative Analysis of Capsular and Secreted Polysaccharides Produced by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Cryptococcus neoformans

“…Furthermore, opportunistic fungi are highly prevalent among people living with HIV/AIDS [11]. In these infections, the weakened host's immune status plays a pivotal role in the dissemination of these yeasts [12], leading to heightened mortality rates, increased morbidity, and a challenging prognosis [13,14].…”

“…Up to 2011, a total of forty-seven distinct Rhodotorula species were described, showcasing extensive taxonomy [21]. And with the increase in these fungal infections considered uncommon or rare, due to the increase in immunocompromised patients in recent years, Rhodotorula yeast is among the main emerging fungal pathogens [14,22]. Among these, R. mucilaginosa, R. glutinis, and R. draft are the most prominent culprits causing disease in humans [23].…”