Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in Latin America. A public health problem?

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2013 Jun;11(6):565-70. doi: 10.1586/eri.13.41.

Abstract

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PcP) is a well-recognized major opportunistic infection in HIV-infected patients. During the 1980s, the HIV pandemic turned PcP into a major worldwide medical and public health problem. With the introduction of Pneumocystis chemoprophylaxis and the development of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of HIV infection, there has been a decrease in PcP incidence in developed countries. However, the prevalence of AIDS-related PcP in developing countries remains high because a lot of people do not have access to ART or ignore their HIV infection status. This article discusses the information available about PcP among Latin American countries where there is a great regional heterogeneity in the prevalence of HIV infection and in ART coverage, as well as in the observed frequencies of PcP that range from 5.9 to 55% in this area.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / epidemiology*
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / microbiology
  • Adult
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active*
  • Coinfection
  • Developing Countries
  • Female
  • HIV*
  • Humans
  • Latin America / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Pneumocystis carinii / drug effects
  • Pneumocystis carinii / growth & development*
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / drug therapy
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / microbiology
  • Prevalence
  • Public Health
  • Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination