Antigen detection of Talaromyces infection in the US: Case report

Abstract

Talaromycosis is an invasive fungal infection endemic in Southeast Asia and has emerged as a leading cause of HIV-related death in the highly endemic countries of Vietnam, Thailand and China. Travel-related cases have been increasingly reported in immunocompromised people since the 1980s. Lack of clinical suspicion and non-culture-based diagnostics prevent timely, accurate diagnosis and treatment. Here we describe a travel-related case of talaromycosis in whom the diagnosis was confirmed using Mp1p antigen detection, highlighting its clinical utility.