Survivors of the Asian tsunami, in which nearly 300,000 people were killed or are still missing, could be at risk of a deadly fungal infection, Australian researchers said on Friday.

Doctors at Sydney’s St George Hospital who treated an infection called mucormycosis in an Australian man who was injured in the disaster, fear it could be the first case of many.

“Other cases of mucormycosis might develop in survivors, but this disease can be difficult to diagnose and even harder to treat, particularly in those who remain in affected regions,” said Pamela Konecny in a report published online by The Lancet medical journal.

The 56-year-old man, who was injured by debris, was transferred from Sri Lanka to the Australian hospital where he had surgery to remove infected tissue and intravenous therapy.

Mucormycosis is caused by fungi found in the soil and in decaying vegetation. It affects the sinuses, brain, lungs, skin and kidneys. People with immune disorders are more susceptible to the infection.

Without surgery the chances of survival are slim. Death rates range from 25-80 percent depending on which part of the body is infected.

“Wound infections, both bacterial and fungal, will undoubtedly add to the illness and mortality already recorded in tsunami-affected areas,” said Konecny.

Up to 100,000 people in Indonesia alone and thousands more in Sri Lanka, Thailand and other countries were injured when the tsunami struck on December 26, according to collated figures from government and health officials.

Konecny said doctors treating people injured during the tsunami should be aware that mucormycosis can occur.

“Our patient probably acquired mucormycosis from contamination of his wounds at the time of trauma or during first aid measures,” she said.

SOURCE: Lancet, online January 27, 2005.