How to Prevent Aspergillosis

Aspergillosis is an infection caused by a fungus of the Aspergillus genus, usually Aspergillus fumigatus or Aspergillus niger. There are many specific diseases included and they are grouped into three categories by the type of infection. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is a reaction to an aspergillus colonization in the tracheobronchial tree, chronic necrotizing aspergillosis usually occurs in patients with underlying lung disease and invasive aspergillosis is found in immunosuppressed patients.

Instructions

• 1

  Use adequate dust control and ventilation in areas where aspergillus is likely to be, especially during construction work or renovation. This includes compost heaps, grain stores, piles of dead leaves and rotting vegetation. Disinfection, humidity and temperature control also are useful measures in preventing aspergillus from growing.

• 2

  Use laminar air flow (LAF) rooms or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) in hospital rooms to reduce the level of fungi in the air. LAF rooms have been shown to decrease the rate of aspergillosis in bone marrow transplant patients. HEPA filters are the only strategy with proven effectiveness against primary aspergillosis.

• 3

  Administer inhaled amphotericin as a preventative measure, especially for lung transplant patients colonized with aspergillus.

• 4

  Begin antifungal therapy as a prophylactic measure in high-risk patients. Oral fluconazole is the most frequently used prophylactic antifungal agent in bone marrow transplant patients and may be effective against aspergillus.

• 5

  Consider oral itraconazole in solution as an alternative. It also may be effective in preventing invasive fungal infections.