Dangerous meningitis caused by a type of fungus

The Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases has just admitted a patient in critical condition with meningitis caused by Cryptococcus fungus - a type of fungus that commonly exists in the natural environment.

Doctors at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases examine patients - Photo: BVCC

Mushrooms exist in the natural environment

Patient V.D.P., 42 years old, from Ha Tinh , was admitted to the hospital with a persistent high fever, severe headache, vomiting and impaired consciousness. He had a history of alcoholism for many years, but had not been diagnosed with cirrhosis before.

Initially, the patient was treated at the provincial level with a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis, but after a week, his condition did not improve but worsened. The patient was transferred to the central level in critical condition, at risk of deep coma and requiring a ventilator.

At the emergency department of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the patient had a spinal tap and specialized tests.

The results showed that he had meningitis caused by Cryptococcus - a fungus that commonly exists in the natural environment but is most commonly found in soil, water contaminated with pigeon droppings or moldy environments.

Healthy individuals are usually unaffected because their immune systems are capable of controlling the infection. In this case, the patient has a risk factor due to frequent exposure to a breeding environment with many pigeons – a common source of infection for this fungus. As in this case, the patient has a weakened immune system due to alcoholic cirrhosis.

According to MSc. Nguyen Kim Anh - Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, fungal meningitis is a rare disease, easily misdiagnosed and has a serious prognosis if not detected early. Current specific treatment drugs have a low penetration rate into the cerebrospinal fluid, making disease control difficult.

Once the causative agent is identified, the patient is treated with specific antifungal drugs and closely monitored.

After 10 days, the patient's condition improved significantly, he was alert, his fever and headache were gone. This is a positive result in the context of fungal meningitis which often has a serious course.

Although this is not a new treatment technique, early diagnosis of the cause, proper treatment and close monitoring are decisive factors, demonstrating the effective handling capacity of the professional team in a complex case.

Risk warning

Cryptococcus fungus exists in pigeon droppings and moldy soil - environments that the patient was frequently exposed to due to his livestock farming work.

However, not everyone gets the disease, the main cause is a weakened immune system, such as in people with HIV/AIDS, cirrhosis, diabetes or taking immunosuppressants.

Doctors warn that fungal meningitis can be easily confused with the flu, viral fever or tuberculous meningitis. Therefore, anyone with symptoms such as prolonged fever, persistent headache, impaired consciousness, especially if they have underlying diseases, should see a specialist soon.

"The case of patient V.D.P. is a reminder to proactively monitor health, especially in people with risk factors.

At the same time, it also reflects the professional capacity and effective coordination between medical levels in handling difficult cases, contributing to improving the quality of treatment in Vietnam in a careful and sustainable manner," Dr. Kim Anh warned.

WILLOW

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mac-viem-mang-nao-nguy-hiem-do-loai-mot-loai-nam-20250516194819563.htm