Fungal brain infection

A MAN'S face erupted in nasty pustules after he caught a deadly fungal infection. Doctors discovered the 29-year-old had contracted Talaromyces marneffei - one of the world's "most feared fungi". When he visited the doctor, he said he had been suffering with a cough, shortness of breath and a fever for two months, the New England Journal of Medicine reported. But in the last two weeks he had also broken out into hundreds of tiny spots over his face, neck, arms, legs and torso and lost weight. Doctors at the Beilun People’s Hospital in Ningbo, China, carried out a biopsy and discovered the patient had actually been infected with a deadly fungus. Feared infection The infection, formerly known as Penicillium marneffei, is regarded as being one of the ten most feared fungi globally, according to a report last year. It's most commonly found in southern China, south east Asia, and north eastern India and causes infection in people with AIDS. Scientists say the fungus can be fatal for … [Read more...] about Man’s face erupts in nasty pustules after catching deadly fungal infection

EVEN napping in contact lenses puts you at risk of a nasty bacterial infection in your eye. New research from the American Collage of Emergency Physicians, based on six case reports, has found going to sleep with contact lenses in can lead to infections of the cornea. The most common is microbial keratitis, a serious eye condition that could leave you blind. The first signs are usually redness and pain in the eye, watery discharge and sensitivity to light. Lead author Dr Jon Femling, assistant professor of the department of emergency medicine at University of New Mexico, said: "Sleeping in your contact lenses is risky and can lead to infections, or in some cases, permanent damage. "Falling asleep, or even napping, without removing your contact lenses can significantly increase the likelihood of serious health problems." Six cases studies were published in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US (CDC) some … [Read more...] about Even having a NAP in your contact lenses ‘increases risk of dangerous infection – and could leave you blind’