Emerging of Mycotic Infection in Patients Infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Abstract

In 21st century, the load of opportunistic infections will increase tremendously due to increase in immunocompromising capacity of host particularly in patients suffering from cancer, AIDS and tuberculosis. Therefore, optimal management of opportunistic fungal infections is indispensable. Tuberculosis patients are immunocompromsed and they take prolong treatment of antibiotic and vitamins tablets i.e. immunosuppressive agents hence fungal infection occurs in early stages of infection. But doctors and physicians prescribe only antibacterial drugs, so patients require for cure more time due to infection of fungus. But some patients are those whose sputum examination is negative but x-rays reports are positive and persists symptoms of tuberculosis, in their lungs there are cavities or opacity, which may be due to opportunistic fungal infection. The present study aims to relate the opportunistic fungal pathogens, their infections and identification of such fungi that are present in pulmonary tuberculosis patients, which may help in correct diagnosis of these diseases. Confirmed tuberculosis by sputum examination in ten laboratories of washim district, Maharashtra, India. Culture characteristic of defferent fungi analysis were done using sputum sample of chronic tuberculosis patients and symptomatic patients (Non tuberculosis). In our survey in different hospitals and primary health center of Washim District (Central India) under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programmed (RNTCP) of World Health Organization, 1357 patients of tuberculosis were recorded during June 2002 to September 2003 by sputum examination in ten laboratories of tuberculosis in Washim district of Maharashtra, India. These patients were classified age-wise. The maximum patients were recorded between the age of 35 to 45 years and old patients suffering for mycotic infection. Percentage of male patients was more as compared to female. Highly pulmonary tuberculosis patients 500 out of the 203 patients were suffering from mycotic infection. The percentage of mycotic infections in pulmonary tuberculosis patients was 46%. Mainly four types of fungi, i.e. Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, Histoplasma capsulatum and Cryptococcus neoformans were recorded, which causes severe infection in lungs in patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. The increasing presence of overlapping opportunistic infections in tuberculosis, identification of such fungi that are present in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Which may help in correct diagnosis of these diseases.So that cure rate will be increase