MARCEL LEVI
Marcel Levi is an internist, chairman of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and professor of medicine at the University of Amsterdam.
What is known about this fungus?
“It is the first time that the fungal infection white ear rears its head on a large scale. It is a fungus that can indeed make people sick. It just depends on how good your immune system is. If you have a normal immune system, like most people, it won’t make you sick or just a little bit. It usually goes away on its own then. People who have a poor immune system – for example due to a disorder, certain medicines or because they have received chemotherapy – can become very ill and can even die from it. This is also the case with other fungi, but we now have good cures for them. The annoying thing is that this fungus is less sensitive to all the cures we have against fungi. That makes it difficult to treat.”
What is the situation in the United States now?
“It is growing in America, but it is still relatively small numbers. It is good to realize that the general antibiotic policy in America is very different from that in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands we are reluctant to use antibiotics to prevent resistance. Antibiotics are given much more quickly in America. Due to resistance, there are always more cases of fungal infections in American hospitals than in Dutch hospitals. So the question is whether it will become as much of a problem here as there. In the Netherlands, only a few people are currently infected, I think there are now five. And we also see in these people that only people with a poor immune system are ill.”
How can people infect each other?
“That is quite easy with fungi: via the hands. Hand hygiene is therefore also very important here.”
How do you know if you have this fungus?
“You can get a rash. The skin can then itch and flake. With a weak immune system, you can also suffer from a fungal infection in your mouth and throat. The fungus can also end up in an organ and in that case you can become seriously ill. Again: that only occurs with a weak immune system.”
How does RIVM monitor whether the figures in the Netherlands are rising?
“How RIVM could measure it – and I don’t know if they intend to do so – is through sewage. During the corona period, they set up a fantastic system in which all sewage was monitored. They take samples from each purification site a few times a week. This was used to detect corona, which is also possible with this fungus. Who knows, they might use this tool.”
RIVM is preparing for an outbreak in the Netherlands. What are the chances that that will happen?
“That is very difficult to predict. Fungal infections are already a lot less common in Dutch hospitals than in other countries, but of course we do not know how this fungus will behave and how quickly it will spread. It’s watching coffee grounds. It is not surprising that RIVM is preparing for it, but there is no reason to panic now. Since what we’ve been through with corona, these kinds of things are frequently picked up by the media. As a result, people quickly think: oh no, here we go again! This is really a completely different situation than during corona.”
So as far as you’re concerned, we don’t have to worry?
“No, there is no need to panic. It is of course annoying for the group of people with poor resistance, who are now time and time again. It is wise for them to be well informed. There doesn’t seem to be much going on for the general population.”
