Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis

       Allergic bronchopul­monary aspergillosis, or ABPA, is one of four major types of infections in humans caused by Aspergillus ftmgi. ABPA is a hypersensitivity reaction that occurs in asthma patients who are allergic to this specific fungus. ABPA is an allergic reaction to a species of Aspergillus called Aspergillus fumigatus. It is sometimes grouped together with other lung disorders charac­terized by eosinophilia—an abnormal increase of a certain type of white blood cell in the blood—under the heading of eosinophil­ic pneumonia. These disorders are also called hypersensitivity lung diseases. ABPA appears to be increasing in frequency in the United States, although the reasons for the increase are not clear. The disorder is most likely to occur in adult asthmatics aged 20-40. It affects males and females equally.