The collapse of infrastructure and the massive movement of earth due to a natural disaster not only leave behind a visible trail of devastation, but also unleash a microscopic danger that floats in the air.
In emergency scenarios such as the one recorded in La Guaira after the earthquake, the removal of debris and rescue efforts require permanent prevention measures, since the suspended dust becomes the entry vehicle for various fungi capable of colonizing the lungs and skin of survivors and rescuers.
To understand the scope of this health risk, it is essential to clarify that mycoses are infections caused by fungi that act in a manner analogous to viruses, bacteria, or parasites.
To that end, Juan Francisco Frey, a bioanalyst specializing in Medical Mycology and a microbiologist at the National Institute of Hygiene, explains that in these situations of normal urban life, humans live with and inhale small amounts of spores present in the environment daily without suffering major consequences, since a competent immune system is able to contain them.
However, the picture changes drastically when the earth fractures and buildings collapse.
Different scenarios. When an earthquake or a large-scale excavation occurs, the concentration of spores in the environment increases dramatically.
“When the fungal load spikes, the number of microorganisms entering the respiratory system far exceeds the response capacity of the body’s natural defenses, allowing the infection to develop even in completely healthy people,” he explains.
Furthermore, he asserts that the routes of contagion in these disaster zones manifest themselves mainly in two ways.
“The first and most frequent route is the respiratory route, through direct inhalation of contaminated dust. According to national epidemiology, the most common respiratory conditions in these contexts are histoplasmosis and aspergillosis,” he adds.
The second route occurs through trauma: people who have suffered crushing injuries or skin wounds are exposed to hyaline fungi or agents that cause mucormycosis invading the damaged tissues, triggering severe clinical conditions.
Diagnosis and prevention.
One of the main obstacles in the care following an earthquake event is the late or inaccurate medical approach.
“Respiratory symptoms resulting from inhaling mushrooms are not always immediate; they can appear during the first week or emerge several weeks after the event,” he said.
He added that, because the clinical manifestations are often confused with common bacterial infections, patients are usually treated with standard antibiotics.
Given this scenario, timely medical suspicion is vital. If a patient exposed to debris removal work presents with respiratory symptoms or skin lesions that do not respond to conventional antibiotics, a fungal origin should be considered.
Making an accurate diagnosis and immediately applying targeted antifungal treatment makes all the difference in the health prognosis of the affected person.
Given this reality, the strategic response in risk management must prioritize the biological protection of the population and response teams.
One of the central recommendations to mitigate the impact of these infections is the prior establishment of strategic supply centers.
These centers must have biological protection kits that have been previously prepared and distributed quickly and promptly, intended not only for the brigade members and rescuers, but also for the civil society that voluntarily comes to provide help.
The specialist assures that the fundamental rule in a disaster scenario is to avoid at all costs entering high-risk areas with high dust density without the appropriate protective equipment.
Ongoing prevention and the timely provision of masks and specialized equipment represent the first line of defense against an invisible threat that, if left unchecked, could transform rescue efforts into a new public health crisis. Public awareness is crucial: avoiding entering collapse zones without proper protective gear is not just a matter of individual precaution.
Types of Mushrooms
The most common fungi in our environment range from microscopic to macroscopic; among the most common are:
Molds (Aspergillus, Penicillium). Common environmental microfungi found in decomposing organic matter, dampness, and infrastructure.
Yeasts (Candida, Saccharomyces). Unicellular fungi present in the human body flora and key in industrialized fermentation processes.
Dermatophytes (Trichophyton, Epidermophyton). Microscopic agents that cause infections in keratinized tissues such as skin, nails and hair (athlete's foot, ringworm).
Mushrooms (Agaricus, Pleurotus). Macroscopic fungi that develop fruiting bodies visible to the naked eye, widely consumed in gastronomy.
