Fungal Infections

Wednesday morning on our way to the hospital we were engaged in 2 topic dicussions regarding antifungals that are commonly found in Thailand; Chromoblastomycosis and Mycetoma. They are both chronic fungal infections of the skin. Chromoblastomycosis usually begins with a traumatic cutaneous injury and is obtained from soil and plant fragments. Treatment involves surgery in mild cases and can be a lot harder to control in the moderate to severe cases.

Mycetoma can be caused by fungus or bacteria commonly found in the soil and water. It infects open wounds and breaks in the skin. It progresses as a painless mass and as it progresses can lead to deformities of the bones. Surgery and antifungal therapy are necessary in majority of mycetoma cases.

One of the main occupations in Thailand is agriculture. Which is why fungal infections are a concern here. Along with this, Thailand is a subtropical area, humid, and moist. This makes for a good environment for molds and fungi to grow. Especially if people are not always aware of their open wounds or are not protecting themselves with appropriate shoes and clothing. This then becomes more of a concern with HIV patients who are exposed in this way because they are at a high risk to opportunistic infections. These topics set us up for a great discussion in underdstanding why fungal infections in general are prevalent here in Thailand.

Thank you for reading,
Desiree