A first-of-its-kind U.S. study reports that invasive mold infections may be more common and deadly than current estimates suggest. Researchers analyzed data from hospitals in the Atlanta area over a five-year period and identified about 450 cases. The study, published this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), frames invasive mold infections as an underappreciated public health risk because the illnesses can be severe and difficult to recognize in time.
Across the cases identified, about a third of patients died during their hospital stay, highlighting the potential severity of these infections. The findings suggest that invasive mold may be causing more illness than is captured by existing surveillance and underscores the need for awareness among clinicians and public health efforts.
Multiple outlets describe the CDC-published findings as the first detailed assessment of invasive mold infections in that U.S. hospital setting and emphasize both the number of cases observed and the high in-hospital mortality rate.
