Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that can affect anyone. It usually affects the lungs and causes pneumonia also can affect other parts of the body. Learning about histoplasmosis can help you stay healthy and recognize symptoms early if you do get the infection.
Histoplasmosis: A Common Fungal Lung Infection;
Histoplasmosis is caused by a fungus that lives in soil, particularly where there’s a large amount of bird or bat poop. People can get histoplasmosis by breathing in fungal spores, and infection can be mild or life-threatening. It can be misdiagnosed because its symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses, like pneumonia caused by bacteria. This often results in delayed treatment. Here are some important things to know about histoplasmosis and Histoplasma, the fungus that causes this illness.
Common Symptoms Can Lead to Delayed Diagnosis;
Fever
Cough
Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
Chills
Headache
Chest pain
Body aches
These symptoms usually appear 3 to 17 days after breathing in the fungus. Because other bacterial or viral diseases have similar symptoms, patients can experience delays in getting correctly diagnosed and treated.
Anyone can get infected, but most people who breathe in the fungus that causes histoplasmosis have no symptoms or only mild ones. Some people never know they’ve had histoplasmosis until a CT scan, X-ray, or other imaging test shows spots on their lungs. These spots can look identical to lung cancer, leading to unnecessary costs and emotional stress associated with finding the right diagnosis.
It is important to know that some people can develop severe histoplasmosis and get very sick. This includes:
People who have existing health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness (people with weakened immune systems), and
People who are exposed to a large amount of the fungus.
A severe infection must be treated with prescription antifungal medicine.
If you have symptoms and suspect that you might have histoplasmosis, ask your doctor to test you for it.
How It Spreads: From Soil to Lungs
In the United States, the fungus that causes histoplasmosis mainly lives in soil in central and eastern states, especially in areas around the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. It’s also present in other U.S. states, likely in small pockets that offer the right growing conditions (such as a large amount of bird or bat poop). The fungus also lives in parts of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. People can get histoplasmosis by breathing in the fungus from the air in these areas. Histoplasmosis does not spread from person to person.
Be Safe Around Bird or Bat Poop
It can be difficult to avoid breathing in the fungus that causes histoplasmosis in areas where it’s common in the environment. In those areas, people who have weakened immune systems should consider avoiding activities associated with getting histoplasmosis, such as:
Disturbing material where there is a large amount of bird or bat poop (for example, digging in soil or chopping wood)
Cleaning, remodeling, or tearing down old buildings
Exploring caves
Cleaning chicken coops
Large amounts of bird or bat poop should be cleaned up by a professional company that specializes in handling hazardous waste. A small amount of bird or bat poop on a hard surface is much less likely to spread histoplasmosis than a larger amount around soil or plants.
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