title: Estimating the Burden of Fungal Diseases in Israel.
abstract: Fungal diseases affect a large proportion of the population, ranging in severity from mild superficial infections to life-threatening invasive diseases. Estimates of disease burden are needed to inform public health policies. We estimated the incidence of fungal diseases in Israel based on published surveillance data and risk-based calculations using previously established models. Deaths associated with fungal diseases were estimated from local surveillance data (candidemia) and published reports (invasive aspergillosis). Candidemia was estimated in 649 persons/year and invasive aspergillosis in 254 persons/year; the associated mortality was 2.75 and 0.96 per 100,000 population/year, respectively. Recurrent Candida vulvovaginitis occurs in 130,440 women annually. National incidence rates of cryptococcosis, pneumocystis pneumonia and mucormycosis could not be reliably estimated. Single-center data-derived estimates yielded 24, 26 and 20 cases/year, respectively. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, asthma with fungal sensitization and allergic fungal sinusitis affect 8297 (range 2323-11,615), 14,372 (14,372-17,965) and 39,922 (15,969-183,643) persons, respectively. In Israel, candidemia and invasive aspergillosis rank high among infection-related causes of mortality. Allergic fungal diseases cause chronic or recurrent symptoms in a large population and may contribute to asthma-related hospitalization and death. These general estimates should serve as a primer for future efforts to study fungal epidemiology.
authors.forename: Ronen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Denning
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012008:Recurrence