Fungi exist in the environment. Some of these cause disease in the human body. Fungal infections usually get better with treatment.  However, some fungi can cause loss of life. The World Health Organization has issued warnings about some fungi. Cryptococcus neoformans It can infect the brain and cause death. Usually this fungus enters the body through fruit with bird droppings. It can also spread through contact with an infected person. Aspergillus fumigatus This fungus exists in both indoor and outdoor environment. It breeds on dead leaves, rotting vegetables and fruits, stored grains and food, carpets in the house. It cannot cause disease in people with immune system. However, it can infect the lungs and sinuses in people with weakened immune systems and the elderly and children. Candida auris It usually creates in healthcare centers. Healthcare workers are infected. Others can also get infected if they come in contact with infected health workers, doctors and nurses from the healthcare center. Its infection causes severe fever and chills. Candida albicans It is one of the main causes of fungal diseases. This fungus is infected in different places of the skin. It can usually be cured with treatment. But lately this fungus has acquired drug resistance. Let's check out how to prevent from these fungi: Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Avoid eating rotting fruits and vegetables. Clean your home carpets regularly.Do not stay in hospital or health center longer than necessary. Avoid using antifungal medicine without doctor's advice.

Germany's public health agency reports more than 7 million cases of respiratory illnesses in a month. Babies and children have been infected by a virus that could threaten lives. Why are there so many cases this year? Doctors' offices across Germany are full of coughing, sniffing patients who don't just look miserable but probably feel that way, too.  According to the Robert Koch Institute, the country's public health agency, more than 7 million people have come down with various respiratory illnesses within a month. With cases skyrocketing in such a short stretch of time, doctors are barely able to cope. It's not unusual for cases of infectious disease to increase during the winter months. But this time around, the number is extremely high, and medical and care staff are reaching their limits. Altogether, researchers have identified around 200 different cold pathogens. Four of them are particularly rife in Germany and Europe at the moment, according to the Robert Koch Institute: influenza viruses, rhinoviruses, SARS-CoV-2 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can be be dangerous particularly for babies and toddlers. RSV can lead to serious symptoms Many of the children who have been infected by the highly contagious RSV have been sent to the hospital for respiratory support. In some regions of Germany, pediatric wards are completely full. RSV is a common virus, and occurs on a seasonal basis. It can lead to bronchiolitis, which mainly affects children under the age of 2, causing their small airways to become inflamed and swell up. The airways become narrower, reducing air flow to and from the lungs, which can result in breathlessness and pneumonia. Mucus builds up in the fine bronchioles, the smaller branches of the airways, and can leave them seriously damaged. Fever and coughing are also typical of an RSV infection. Some children develop symptoms that resemble those of whooping cough, which can also lead to a life-threatening situation. Adults, for their part, tend to get over such infections without major problems — unless they have serious underlying medical conditions or an immune system that isn't functioning as well as it could. Lax COVID restrictions leading to more cold infections During the worst phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, infections by cold viruses — including RSV — were relatively rare. Most people observed the strict hygiene precautions put in place to stop the spread of COVID: frequent hand-washing, mask-wearing and social distancing. This made it considerably more difficult for viruses of all types to spread far and rapidly. This year, however, the anti-coronavirus measures aren't as strict, both in Germany and many other countries. Cold viruses don't need to overcome distance or face masks to spread their infection, and all those children who escaped infection during the pandemic are now getting sick, creating many more cases than there would be in a typical year. Many of the babies and toddlers who weren't infected two years ago are now getting sick this winter. The same goes for those who avoided illness last year, and the newborns who are just now experiencing their first wave of colds. All these cases are adding up, causing the overall number to explode. All these children have not previously had a chance to build up antibodies against RSV, or many other types of cold virus. Such antibodies help the body to fight off viruses and protect itself from pathogens. The hygiene measures to combat the coronavirus meant that the immune systems of babies and toddlers have, until now, never had to deal with cold viruses — making the current wave of infections all the more serious. What should parents look out for? A major alarm signal for parents is when a child has difficulty breathing, or makes rattling breath sounds. Whistling noises in the lungs or a sort of crackling can also be an indication of a respiratory illness, such as an RSV infection. The Robert Koch Institute has said that children with RSV often don't want to eat or drink, and may vomit. Tiredness can also be a symptom; children sometimes become apathetic and lose interest in everything. Where the symptoms come from exactly, how serious the illness is or whether it could even be life-threatening for a child are best assessed by medical experts. The most important thing to do in such a case is to go to a pediatric doctor, even if making an appointment isn't all that easy at the moment. The RKI has warned that the danger of infections is far from over, with worldwide case numbers possibly rising even further. France already made an emergency plan for a bronchiolitis epidemic in early November. Other countries may soon be forced to follow its example. This article has been translated from German.

In the last 24 hours 36 people died due to coronavirus infection in the country. With this figure the number of deaths has reached at 12,619. In this period 1,710 people were traced with coronavirus infection. With this figure the number of traced cased has surged to 8,00,540. On Sunday the number of deaths was 34 and the number of coronavirus traced cases was 1,444. The information was delivered on Monday through the regular press release regarding corona situation by the health directorate. It said, in the last 24 hours 1,567 people have recovered from the deadly Covid-19 and so far the recovery count has risen to 7,40,372. In the last 24 hours total 18,862 samples were collected and 18,178 samples were tested. The tracing rate is 9.41 per cent comparing to the tests conducted. So far in the country total 59,47,513 samples were tested. The tracing rate comparing to the total tests conducted is 13.46 per cent. On the other hand, of the 36 deceased 9 were from Dhaka division, 12 from Chattogram division, 8 from Rajshahi division, 6 from Khulna division and 1 from Sylhet division. Of the 36 deceased 25 were male and 11 were female. All of them died in the hospitals except two persons. Of the total 12,619 deceased 9,113 were male and 3,506 were female. AH  

More 14 deaths have occurred in the country over last 24 hours caused by the coronavirus. The death toll has surged to 5,761 claimed by the virus. More 1,586 patients have been traced in the country infected by the coronavirus. So the number of infected people has risen to 3,96,413. The information was delivered through a press release of the health directorate on Friday afternoon. Besides, more 1,533 people have recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours. With this the number of recovered people has risen to 3,12,065. Of the deceased of last 24 hours 13 are male and one female. So far, of the deceased caused by the deadly virus 4,435 are male (76.98 per cent) and 1,326 are female (23.02 per cent). On Thursday the number of death over the previous 24 hours was 24 and the number of infections was 1,696. AH  

South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the "highest level" as confirmed case numbers keep rising. President Moon Jae-in said the country faced "a grave turning point", and the next few days would be crucial in the battle to contain the outbreak. Six people have died from the virus in South Korea and more than 600 have been infected. Meanwhile, Italy and Iran have announced steps to try to contain worrying outbreaks of the virus. In Italy, strict quarantine restrictions are in force in two northern "hotspot" regions close to Milan and Venice. Around 50,000 people cannot enter or leave several towns in Veneto and Lombardy for the next two weeks without special permission. Even outside the zone, many businesses and schools have suspended activities, and sporting events have been cancelled including several top-flight football matches. Amid the growing restrictions, the last two days of the Venice Carnival, on Monday and Tuesday, were cancelled. Italy has seen two deaths and the number of confirmed cases has risen to more than 100 - 89 of them in Lombardy. "The contagiousness of this virus is very strong and pretty virulent," said Lombardy's health chief, Giulio Gallera. Iran's outbreak of coronavirus has significantly worsened, with the death toll rising to eight on Sunday. The government has acknowledged 43 confirmed cases although officials have warned the virus may have spread to "all cities". Schools, universities and cultural centers across 14 Iranian provinces have been closed from Sunday. The new strain of coronavirus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19. China has seen more than 76,000 infections and 2,442 deaths. On Sunday, China's President Xi Jinping described the outbreak as the "largest public health emergency" in the country's recent history. He acknowledged "shortcomings" in China's response and said lessons must be learned. Source: BBC AH

The official Chinese death toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose on Friday to 636, with the government saying total infections had climbed past 30,000. The toll was raised by 73 new deaths from the epidemic, the National Health Commission said in its daily update. Another 3,143 new cases of infection were confirmed, bringing total infections in the country thus far to 31,161, it said. The central province of Hubei where the virus originated continued to be hardest-hit, accounting for 69 of the new deaths reported in the 24 hours to Friday. Of the reported infections, more than 4,800 of those people were in serious condition. Chinese authorities are still struggling to contain the outbreak despite ordering millions of people indoors in a growing number of cities, with overwhelmed hospitals struggling to treat the surging numbers of ill. The contagion emerged in the Hubei provincial capital of Wuhan in December, later spreading to the rest of China and more than two dozen other countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global emergency. The number of confirmed infections in China could still grow significantly, with the health commission saying that more than 26,000 other people were “suspected” of having contracted the virus. Source: AFP/BSS AH