The section of Medical Mycology (SMM) of the Spanish Association of Mycology (AEM) was created in 1996 with the aim to promote the development of Medical Mycology, grouping all associates who work in different areas of this discipline, in both treatment and research. In order to achieve this objective and at the same time build contacts between the different groups who are present in the AEM, SMM coordinates various activities such organizing conferences for experts and running courses, as well as creating workshops.
Since 1998 the SMM annually sponsors the » Theoretical and practical courses of anti-fungal drug sensitivity»; with numerous specialists among it’s teachers in different areas of the Clinical Mycology such as Ana Espinel-Ingroff, expert in the international recognition of antifungal susceptibility assessment techniques. So far there have been nine editions of the course: Valencia (1998), La Laguna (1999), Seville (2000), Zaragoza (2001), Santiago de Compostela (2002), Barcelona (2004), Madrid (2005), Palma de Mallorca (2006) and Córdoba (2007). The practical and itinerant nature of these courses given throughout the whole Spanish Peninsula coupled with high quality of teaching received a great initial welcome and have been endorsed in every single of its programs.
In addition to the Organization’s own round table meetings in the last programs of the National Congress of Mycology, SMM also planned autonomous meetings in each area, along with Congresses being held on the same topic in Spain. The first, «Aspergillus and Nosocomial Aspergillosis», coincided with the 6th Congress of the European Confederation of Medical Mycology and was held in Barcelona in 2000. The second convention, «Diagnosis of fungal infections in the 21st century», was held in Valencia in 2002 within the framework of the 6th National Congress of Mycology.
The same way the SMM organizes a Mycology Forum every two years, in which the latest scientific contributions are discussed appearing in both journal publications and scientific meetings. For this reason it encourages active participation of «young researchers» who do not have the possibility of going to other forums thus economic costs are reduced to the minimum. The first Mycology Forum was held on September 13, 2003 in Colegio Mayor Diego de Covarrubias. The second and 3rd Mycology Forums were held in San Juan de Alicante, in the Pérez Mateos residence in December 2005 and December 2007, respectively.
Jointly to this organizational work, the SMM is also collaborating with various working groups of the AEM to define objectives and promote participation of research associates of areas such as «Antifungal sensitivity», «Epidemiology of Cryptococcal disease», «Rapid methods of yeast identification» and «Standardization of diagnosis in Clinical Mycology». The «Practical Guide for Diagnosis in Clinical Mycology» published in 2001 and its second edition in 2008 are examples of the participation of various members of the SMM in these types of projects and supported by a special group and their work written on ‘Standardization and coordination’ and in publishing the Guide.
On the other hand the SMM facilitates the integration of its members in the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM), an organization to which, another 19 European societies of Medical Mycology belong to. This Confederation aims to promote collaboration among European groups providing an opportunity for the Confederation members to meet regularly. So far there have been meetings in Paris (1993), Brussels (1995), Lisbon (1996), Glasgow (1998), Dresden (1999), Barcelona (2000), Rhodes (2001), Budapest (2002), Amsterdam (2003) and Wroclaw (2004). Since 2003 the CEMM congresses have been held every 2 years along with Trends in Fungal Infection (TIFI) under another title: Trends in Medical Mycology (TIMM). The 1st TIMM was held in (Amsterdam, 2003), the 2nd in Berlin (2005), Turin (2007) 3rd and 4th in Athens (2009). During the years the international congress held a training workshop in Mycology, the first of which took place in August 2008 during the Congress of The Turkish Society of Mycology and the 2nd will was held in Milan in September 2010. The ECMM has also created workshops to study Cryptococcosis, Histoplasmosis, Nocardia infections and others caused by Aerobic Actinomycetes, Candidemia, Tinea Capitis, Candidiasis, Chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis and Dermatophytosis in dogs and cats in Europe, all have active participating members of the SMM. In addition, the CEMM publishes Mycology Newsletter, a regular newsletters that are sent to members of the SMM summarizing the activities of the CEMM Mycology. In order to join the CEMM an annual payment one euro is required from each member of the field, which adds to the annual fee of the AEM members of SMM.
Currently half of the members of the AEM belong to SMM. If you are interested in joining our organization, please send me your address, phone, fax and e-mail and specify your line of work so we can inform you about activities in more detail.
With a warm greeting,
- Ferrán Sánchez Reus.
- Coordinator of the Mycology Department.
- Hospital San Pau. Barcelona.
- Correo electrónico: fsanchezr@santpau.cat