The epidemiology and host-fungal neuroimmune interaction of paediatric cryptococcal infection in South Africa.

The fungus Cryptococcus is the leading cause of meningitis in adults in Sub-Saharan Africa and has very poor outcomes with most patients dying or developing brain damage. It predominantly affects patients with HIV infection. Although childhood infection is recognised to be rarer than in adults, the resulting damage to the developing brain is significant and the number of infections in children is largely unknown.

The World Health Organization recommends testing every child over 10-years old with advanced HIV disease for evidence of cryptococcal infection as pre-emptive treatment saves lives. The aims of the project are: a) Define the prevalence and clinical management of cryptococcal antigenaemia and incidence of CM in children in SA.

A retrospective cohort study will be performed across all public healthcare facilities in SA including all CrAg positive results from children