Preemptive Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Valid Strategy for Latin America?
AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis continues to cause a substantial burden of death in low and middle income countries. Better diagnostics allow detection of cryptococcosis in the asymptomatic phase and using these technologies to screen at-risk persons would likely reduce mortality. The World Hea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2016-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/2/2/14 |
| _version_ | 1818946030774779904 |
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| author | José E. Vidal |
| author_facet | José E. Vidal |
| author_sort | José E. Vidal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis continues to cause a substantial burden of death in low and middle income countries. Better diagnostics allow detection of cryptococcosis in the asymptomatic phase and using these technologies to screen at-risk persons would likely reduce mortality. The World Health Organization recommends cryptococcal antigen screening among populations with a prevalence of cryptococcal antigenaemia (CRAG) > 3%. There is scarce data about CRAG prevalence in Latin America. Four studies (only one published as a full text) showed asymptomatic CRAG prevalence between 2.7% and 6.2% in several sub-sets of HIV-infected patients. The CRAG lateral flow assay (LFA) has several advantages over other techniques for actual implementation of a screening program. Although more studies are necessary to confirm available data, implementation of the CRAG screening strategy seems to be opportune in Latin America. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:08:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ced4af151d6349aea6fcda9265c5f066 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2309-608X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:08:32Z |
| publishDate | 2016-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Fungi |
| spelling | doaj.art-ced4af151d6349aea6fcda9265c5f0662022-12-21T19:47:21ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2016-05-01221410.3390/jof2020014jof2020014Preemptive Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Valid Strategy for Latin America?José E. Vidal0Department of Neurology; Emilio Ribas Institute of Infectious Diseases; Av Doutor Arnaldo 165, Cerqueira César, São Paulo, CEP 05411-000, BrazilAIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis continues to cause a substantial burden of death in low and middle income countries. Better diagnostics allow detection of cryptococcosis in the asymptomatic phase and using these technologies to screen at-risk persons would likely reduce mortality. The World Health Organization recommends cryptococcal antigen screening among populations with a prevalence of cryptococcal antigenaemia (CRAG) > 3%. There is scarce data about CRAG prevalence in Latin America. Four studies (only one published as a full text) showed asymptomatic CRAG prevalence between 2.7% and 6.2% in several sub-sets of HIV-infected patients. The CRAG lateral flow assay (LFA) has several advantages over other techniques for actual implementation of a screening program. Although more studies are necessary to confirm available data, implementation of the CRAG screening strategy seems to be opportune in Latin America.http://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/2/2/14cryptococcal antigencryptococcal meningitisscreeningpreemptive therapy |
| spellingShingle | José E. Vidal Preemptive Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Valid Strategy for Latin America? Journal of Fungi cryptococcal antigen cryptococcal meningitis screening preemptive therapy |
| title | Preemptive Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Valid Strategy for Latin America? |
| title_full | Preemptive Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Valid Strategy for Latin America? |
| title_fullStr | Preemptive Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Valid Strategy for Latin America? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preemptive Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Valid Strategy for Latin America? |
| title_short | Preemptive Therapy for Cryptococcal Meningitis: A Valid Strategy for Latin America? |
| title_sort | preemptive therapy for cryptococcal meningitis a valid strategy for latin america |
| topic | cryptococcal antigen cryptococcal meningitis screening preemptive therapy |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/2/2/14 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joseevidal preemptivetherapyforcryptococcalmeningitisavalidstrategyforlatinamerica |