Received: 8 April 2021 | Revised: 1 June 2021 | Accepted: 10 June 2021 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13339 REVIEW ARTICLE Serious fungal diseases in Democratic Republic of Congo – Incidence and prevalence estimates Guyguy K. Kamwiziku1 | Jean- Claude C. Makangara1 | Emma Orefuwa2 | David W. Denning2,3 1Department of Microbiology, Kinshasa University Hospital, University of Abstract Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic A literature review was conducted to assess the burden of serious fungal infections of Congo 2Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (population 95,326,000). English and Geneva, Switzerland French publications were listed and analysed using PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar 3 Manchester Fungal Infection Group, The and the African Journals database. Publication dates spanning 1943– 2020 were in- University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, cluded in the scope of the review. From the analysis of published articles, we estimate Manchester, UK a total of about 5,177,000 people (5.4%) suffer from serious fungal infections in the Correspondence DRC annually. The incidence of cryptococcal meningitis, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneu- Guyguy K. Kamwiziku, Department monia in adults and invasive aspergillosis in AIDS patients was estimated at 6168, of Microbiology, Kinshasa University Hospital, University of Kinshasa, Congo. 2800 and 380 cases per year. Oral and oesophageal candidiasis represent 50,470 Email:
[email protected] and 28,800 HIV- infected patients respectively. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis post- tuberculosis incidence and prevalence was estimated to be 54,700. Fungal asthma (allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and severe asthma with fungal sensitiza- tion) probably has a prevalence of 88,800 and 117,200.