Two patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) died due to the presence of Aspergillus lentulus, a drug-resistant pentagon, in their bodies, officials at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, confirmed on Monday.

A case report published in the Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology (IJMM) stated that while one of the patients was in his late 50s, the other was in his early 40s. The patient in his 50s was referred from a private hospital. The other patient was rushed to the AIIMS emergency with symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Both of them received oral injections of amphotericin B and voriconazole.

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However, their condition did not improve. While the first patient died of a fungal infection a month after getting admitted, the second patient died of multiple organ failure.

“As far as we know, this is the first report from India on a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a COPD patient caused by Aspergillus lentulus,” the report stated.

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What is Aspergillus lentulus?

Aspergillus lentulus is a type of Aspergillus that is known to cause lung infections. Though several countries have confirmed human infections, doctors at AIIMS said this was the first case in India.

“Aspergillus is a fungus which has been known to infect immunocompromised hosts but Aspergillus lentulus is a new species of pathogenic fungi which has been identified or the first time in the Indian patients who died at AIIMS, New Delhi” Dr Monica Mahajan, HOD, Internal Medicine at Max Hospitals, told NDTV.

One can avoid getting infected by avoiding areas with lots of dust and avoiding activities that involve close contact to soil or dust. Those involved in such activities should always wear gloves and an N-95 mask.