Colombia, a leader in the study of infections caused by fungi.

– the Center will have equipment for molecular studies, will develop guidelines for the management of fungal infection and will provide education to health professionals

-more than half of the cases of Mycosis invasive are deadly

Colombia, 2011-August the inauguration of the Centre for research and diagnosis for the fungal infections (Cidmic), which was held on Monday July 18 in Medellín during the celebration of the X Congress of infectious diseases, will be to Colombia most advanced country in the Andean region and one of the leaders of Latin America in the study of infections caused by the so-called ‘ opportunistic fungi ’.

Thanks to its modern technology, which includes equipment for molecular analysis, the Cidmic will be a focal point for Colombia health professionals to achieve more rapid and effective of the invasive Mycosis diagnoses or systemic, conditions which, due to their aggressiveness and uncertain origin, causing death in approximately half of people who become infected. The new Centre will also develop guidelines for the management of these diseases and provide education to health professionals.

The Cidmic is the result of an agreement between the Colombian Association of infectology (Acin), the Corporation for biological research (CIB) and the Pfizer laboratories, whose work as a whole from 2010 sparked interest in the study of fungi in the country.

Under the direction of the doctors Beatriz Lucía Gómez and María Ángela Tobón and counseling general of the Dr Angela Restrepo, the Centre will work at the headquarters of the CIB in Medellín (career 72A No. 78B-141).

Fungal infectious diseases are of difficult diagnosis, what makes them a real threat for who suffers from – says the Restrepo Dr. –. The Cidmic aims to improve the diagnosis of these diseases through the use of refined methods of laboratory, in experienced hands and in conjunction with a specialist clinical advice will be able to make the difference between the death or the recovery of the patient at risk ”.

What are the Mycosis?

The fungal infections are infections caused by fungi. There are superficial fungal infections, such as those that occur in the skin or nails – usually treatable with topical medications –, and other invasive or systemic, they reach the bloodstream or internal organs and which can be deadly in severely ill patients or whose immune system is weakened. Generally, the problem is compounded by the difficult diagnosis and treatment late.
The invasive fungal infection or systemic more frequent are candidiasis, aspergillosis, histoplasmosis and fusariosis, cryptococcosis. Treatment is based on the Administration, through oral or intravenous, antifungals for systemic use.

Global data indicate that about one in ten patients who are performed blood – cultivation for the detection of pathogenic micro-organisms in the blood – are some kind of infection by fungi. The most common causative agents correspond to yeast of the genus Candida, causing various diseases globally designated systemic candidiasis.

Despite the importance of these fungal infections, specific data on the incidence and prevalence in Colombia are limited. Precisely for this reason, the Cidmic will be a centre where they will get and recolectarán data allowing to expand the knowledge and, in particular, make more accurate diagnoses and provide more effective treatments.

As the doctor Luis Angel Villar, President of the Colombian Association of infectology (Acin), the creation of this Center is an opportunity for patients and for the groups of health, they will have appropriate potentially fatal disease diagnosis, but proper treatment can save lives ”.