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Background: Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection that can affect both humans and animals, caused by a species of thermo-dimorphic fungi of the genus Sporothrix. This pathology can be acquired by subcutaneous traumatic inoculation through contact with contaminated plants, soil or decomposing organic matter, and/or by inhalation of conidia. The infection can progress to chronic skin infection, or it can even spread to blood vessels, lymph, muscles, bones, and other organs, such as the lungs and nervous system. Those disseminated types are usually associated with cellular immunodeficiency and infection by inhalation, which explains why people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) get infected in such a manner. This virus changes the natural history of sporotrichosis, producing a greater fungal load. Methods: The search was carried out in three databases: Pubmed, Scopus, and Scielo. Eligible articles were considered as those that described sporotrichosis in patients infected with HIV-AIDS, as well as case series. Results: A total of 24 articles were selected, with a sum of 37 patients with sporotrichosis and HIV infection. Of these patients, 31 came from Brazil, two from the United States, one from South Africa, one from Bangladesh, and two from an unspecified region. Regarding epidemiology, a predominance of the male sex was found in 28 of the 37 cases (75.6%), while nine were female (24.3%). Conclusions: Sporotrichosis infection continues to present in a more severe and disseminated way among HIV-positive subjects with lower CD4+ counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physiopathologic characteristics of COVID-19 (high levels of inflammatory cytokines and T-cell reduction) promote fungal colonization and infection, which can go unnoticed because the symptoms in both diseases are very similar. The objective of this work was to study the current epidemiology of systemic mycosis in COVID-19 times. A literature search on the subject (January 2020–February 2021) was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and LILACS without language restrictions. Demographic data, etiological agent, risk factors, diagnostic methods, antifungal treatment, and fatality rate were considered. Eighty nine publications were found on co-infection by COVID-19 and pneumocystosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, mucormycosis, coccidioidomycosis, or histoplasmosis. In general, the co-infections occurred in males over the age of 40 with immunosuppression caused by various conditions. Several species were identified in candidiasis and aspergillosis co-infections. For diagnosis, diverse methods were used, from microbiological to molecular. Most patients received antifungals; however, the fatality rates were 11–100%. The latter may result because the clinical picture is usually attributed exclusively to SARS-CoV-2, preventing a clinical suspicion for mycosis. Diagnostic tests also have limitations beginning with sampling. Therefore, in the remainder of the pandemic, these diagnostic limitations must be overcome to achieve a better patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a progressive increase in the incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) caused by Candida glabrata has been observed. The objective of this literature review was to study the epidemiology, drug resistance, and virulence factors associated with the C. glabrata complex. For this purpose, a systematic review (January 2001–February 2021) was conducted on the PubMed, Scielo, and Cochrane search engines with the following terms: "C. glabrata complex (C. glabrata sensu stricto, C. nivariensis, C. bracarensis)" associated with "pathogenicity" or "epidemiology" or "antibiotics resistance" or "virulence factors" with language restrictions of English and Spanish. One hundred and ninety-nine articles were found during the search. Various mechanisms of drug resistance to azoles, polyenes, and echinocandins were found for the C. glabrata complex, depending on the geographical region. Among the mechanisms found are the overexpression of drug transporters, gene mutations that alter thermotolerance, the generation of hypervirulence due to increased adhesion factors, and modifications in vital enzymes that produce cell wall proteins that prevent the activity of drugs designed for its inhibition. In addition, it was observed that the C. glabrata complex has virulence factors such as the production of proteases, phospholipases, and hemolysins, and the formation of biofilms that allows the complex to evade the host immune response and generate fungal resistance. Because of this, the C. glabrata complex possesses a perfect pathogenetic combination for the invasion of the immunocompromised host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]