Percorrer por autor "Antunes, Francisco"
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- Addressing Critical Fungal Pathogens Under a One Health Perspective: Key Insights from the Portuguese Association of Medical MycologyPublication . Sabino, Raquel; Antunes, Francisco; Araujo, Ricardo; Bezerra, A. R.; Brandão, João; Carneiro, Carla; Carvalho, Agostinho; Carvalho, D.; Conceição, I.C.; Cota-Medeiros, Fábio; Cruz, C.; Duarte, Elsa Leclerc; Holum, S.; Matos, O.; Maltez, F.; Mendonça, Alexandre; Moura, G.; Pereira, A.; Fortuna R., Celia; Teixeira, Pedro; de Valdoleiros, Sofia R.; Verissímo, Cristina; Viegas, Carla; Portuguese Association of Medical Mycology (ASPOMM); CarneiroFungal infections have emerged as a significant public health concern, especially with the increasing incidence of severe mycoses caused by pathogens such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida auris, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. These fungi, listed as critical priorities by the World Health Organization, pose a heightened risk due to rising antifungal resistance and their severe impact on immunocompromised individuals. This article, coordinated by the Portuguese Association of Medical Mycology, highlights the importance of adopting a One Health perspective to address fungal threats comprehensively. Drawing on interdisciplinary collaboration, the association aims to foster greater awareness, improve diagnostic capabilities, and stimulate research and public health policies in Portugal but also at global level. The paper outlines key strategies for surveillance, prevention, and innovation in fungal diagnostics and therapeutics. Moreover, it emphasizes the urgent need for national coordination and international cooperation in managing fungal infections, advocating for integrative approaches that link human, animal, and environmental health. By presenting aconsolidated overview of current challenges and future priorities, this work seeks to enhance preparedness and response mechanisms in the face of escalating fungal threats.
- Candida auris, an Agent of Hospital-Associated Outbreaks: Which Challenging Issues Do We Need to Have in Mind?Publication . Sabino, Raquel; Veríssimo, Cristina; Pereira, Álvaro Ayres; Antunes, FranciscoThe emergence of Candida auris is considered as one of the most serious problems associated with nosocomial transmission and with infection control practices in hospital environment. This multidrug resistant species is rapidly spreading worldwide, with several described outbreaks. Until now, this species has been isolated from different hospital surfaces, where it can survive for long periods. There are multiple unanswered questions regarding C. auris, such as prevalence in population, environmental contamination, effectiveness of infection prevention and control, and impact on patient mortality. In order to understand how it spreads and discover possible reservoirs, it is essential to know the ecology, natural environment, and distribution of this species. It is also important to explore possible reasons to this recent emergence, namely the environmental presence of azoles or the possible effect of climate change on this sudden emergence. This review aims to discuss some of the most challenging issues that we need to have in mind in the management of C. auris and to raise the awareness to its presence in specific indoor environments as hospital settings.
- Candida auris: emergência recente de um fungo patogénico multirresistentePublication . Antunes, Francisco; Veríssimo, Cristina; Ayres Pereira, Álvaro; Sabino, RaquelCandida auris foi descrita pela primeira vez em 2009, como uma espécie distinta das outras leveduras do género Candida. Este fungo é difícil de se distinguir de outras espécies com que se correlaciona, sendo, atualmente, aconselhada a confirmação da sua identificação por laboratórios de referência. Esta levedura tem a capacidade de causar infeções invasivas, podendo ser resistente às três classes de antifúngicos, sendo a mortalidade elevada. Candida auris tem sido detetada em vários países do Mundo, incluindo alguns países da Europa, tais como Reino Unido e Espanha. Até à data, em Portugal, não há registo de qualquer caso de infeção/colonização por Candida auris. Esta espécie pode sobreviver no ambiente durante várias semanas e uma vez introduzida no ambiente hospitalar, o risco de transmissão é elevado, obrigando à implementação de medidas rigorosas de controlo da infeção, por forma a prevenir a transmissão. Este artigo pretende dar a conhecer e discutir a problemática da emergência deste fungo e as suas eventuais consequências.
- Hepatitis C antibody prevalence and behavioral correlates in people who inject drugs attending harm reduction services in Lisbon, PortugalPublication . Curado, Adriana; Nogueira, Paulo Jorge; Virgolino, Ana; Santa Maria, João; Mendão, Luís; Furtado, Cristina; Antunes, FranciscoThe hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important public health problem, affecting millions of people worldwide. People who inject drugs (PWID) are at increased risk of HCV infection due to, among other factors, widespread unsafe injecting practices, such as sharing of infected equipment or unprotected sexual practices. In Portugal, there is a lack of data regarding the proportion of infected persons through injecting drug use. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-HCV prevalence and behavioral correlates of infection in PWID attending harm reduction services in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, Portugal. A cross-sectional study with a purposive sample of PWID was undertaken between March 2018 and March 2020. Participants were recruited through the harm-reduction services of a nongovernmental organization. A rapid diagnostic test for anti-HCV screening was performed. Data on drug consumption history and current practices, past HCV testing, care and treatment history, and knowledge regarding hepatitis C were also collected through a questionnaire applied by trained inquirers. A total of 176 PWID participated in this study. An overall prevalence of 70.5% of anti-HCV positive in this population was found. Those with an anti-HCV positive testing result tended to start consuming at a younger age and have a higher consumption of benzodiazepines in the last 30 days. Sharing needles and other injecting material is a frequent risk behavior among this group. Also, they are more likely to have attended an opioid agonist treatment and to have undertaken previous hepatitis C and HIV tests in the past. This study represents an important effort to better understand the HCV prevalence and behavioral correlates of infection among PWID in Portugal, as well as to better estimate those in need of HCV treatment.
- Monkeypox: From A Neglected Tropical Disease to a Public Health ThreatPublication . Antunes, Francisco; Cordeiro, Rita; Virgolino, AnaSince the first case of human monkeypox was diagnosed in 1970, the disease remained endemic in several countries in West and Central Africa. In 1996, there was a sudden increase in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and since 2017 an ongoing outbreak in Nigeria took place, probably related to the population growth, human invasion of MPXV animal habitat reservoirs, and the waning of the cross-protection offered from smallpox immunization, later ending in 1980. Since May 2022, an unprecedented outbreak of human monkeypox has rapidly spread around the world, outside endemic regions of Africa, through new modes of transmission, showing differences in clinical features compared with previous reports. The 2022 MPXV strain belongs to the clade of West Africa but diverges from the original strain, making the virus more transmissible. The authors review the main milestones in more than 50 years of history of human monkeypox, from a rare viral zoonotic infection to a public health emergency.