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Epidemiology of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in Venezuela

  • Clinical Mycology Lab Issues (S Cordoba, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of the Review

The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of the epidemiology of pneumocystosis or Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in Venezuela, by an updated review of the information currently available.

Recent Findings

The PCP epidemiology in Venezuela is not formally known. There is no national surveillance program for mycosis, and systemic mycoses are not mandatory notification diseases. Efforts made to record the disease in our country have not been sufficient; therefore, there is a sub-registry. All the information carried out prevents comparisons with other reports due to the variations in study designs, heterogeneity of the studied patients, and diagnostic methods.

Summary

This review summarizes the current knowledge about PCP epidemiology in Venezuela based on available national publications. The contributions of these studies are very valuable, since they reflect the need for systematic PCP study, not only in AIDS patients, but in cancer and COPD patients.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank all members of IBEROPNEUMOCYSTIS, especially Olga Matos (Universidade NOVA de Lisboa), Carmen de La Horra, and Vicente Friaza (Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, España), for their support and friendship and to Lieska Rodríguez, Manager of Diagnosis and Epidemiological Surveillance of Rafael Rangel National Institute of Hygiene.

Venezuelan Group for the Study of Pneumocystosis

María Mercedes Panizo, Giuseppe Ferrara and Nataly García (were part of the group of the Instituto Nacional de Higiene Rafael Rangel until May 2019). Vera Reviakina and Maribel Dolande (currently retired professionals from the Instituto Nacional de Higiene Rafael Rangel). Víctor Alarcón (Instituto Nacional de Higiene Rafael Rangel). Xiomara Moreno and Ana María Cáceres (Instituto Médico La Floresta). Trina Navas (Hospital General del Oeste Dr. José Gregorio Hernández). Enrique Calderon is the coordinator of the Iberoamerican Pneumocystis Network (IBEROPNEUMOCYSTIS). Maria Mercedes Panizo was the leader of the Venezuelan group.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sociedad Venezolana de Microbiología, Caracas, Venezuela

    María Mercedes Panizo

  2. Laboratorio de Referencia Referlab, Caracas, Venezuela

    Giuseppe Ferrara & Nataly García

  3. Instituto Médico La Floresta, Caracas, Venezuela

    Xiomara Moreno

  4. Hospital General del Oeste Dr. José Gregorio Hernández, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela

    Trina Navas

  5. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Epidemiología y Salud Pública/Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

    Enrique Calderón

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  1. María Mercedes Panizo
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  4. Xiomara Moreno
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on behalf of the Venezuelan Group for the Study of Pneumocystosis belonging to the Iberoamerican Pneumocystosis Network (IBEROPNEUMOCYSTIS)

  • Vera Reviakina
  • , Maribel Dolande
  • , Víctor Alarcón
  •  & Ana María Cáceres

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Correspondence to María Mercedes Panizo.

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María Mercedes Panizo, Giuseppe Ferrara, Nataly García, Xiomara Moreno, Trina Navas, and Enrique Calderón declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this manuscript.

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Panizo, M.M., Ferrara, G., García, N. et al. Epidemiology of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in Venezuela. Curr Fungal Infect Rep 14, 21–28 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12281-020-00376-5

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