Diagnosis, Burden and Mortality of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in Venezuela

Purpose of the Review The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of diagnosis, burden, and mortality of pneumocystosis or Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in Venezuela. Recent Findings Historically, PCP diagnosis has been clinical and histopathological, but diagnosis based on PCP clinical suspicion, without confirmation of laboratory detection of P. jirovecii , causes a significant negative impact on both morbidity and mortality of this disease. Risk estimation for PCP and mortality rates according to official records contrasts with the scarce epidemiological data and makes more difficult to have a real view of the impact of this disease in our country. Summary This review summarizes three fundamental aspects: the meaning and usefulness of direct immunofluorescence assay (DIF) and nested PCR (nPCR) for PCP diagnosis in a developing country, risk estimation for PCP based on available national publications, and official mortality rates.