HIstoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is caused by the fungus Histoplasma, which lives throughout the world but is most common in North America and Central America. Histoplasma grows best in soil that contains bird or bat droppings. However, birds cannot spread the fungus in their droppings but bats can. People most often receive the disease causing illness after breathing in microscopic fungal spores that come from disturbed soil. The most common symptoms a person would get are coughing, fever, and fatigue and they usually appear within three and seventeen days. Other symptoms a person may experience are chills, headache chest pains, and body aches and these will most commonly last for a couple of weeks to a month unless they become severe. In severe cases of Histoplasmosis the disease can develop into a long term lung infection and even possibly spread to areas of the body like the spinal cord or the brain. Almost every healthcare provider can order a test for histoplasmosis. For a doctor to diagnosis histoplasmosis the best they need a urine sample or a blood sample, they also need to know physical examinations, symptoms, and your medical and travel history. The treatment is fairly simple with a non-severe case and you should see a decline of your symptoms in a few weeks. In severe cases a doctor will prescribe an antifungal medication like Itraconazole, and can say you need the treatment for up to 3 months to a year. Histoplasmosis is most common among adults aged sixty-five years or older or people who have HIV/AIDS and a weakened immune system. Although, approximately sixty percent to ninety percent in the Midwest/South have been exposed to Histoplasmosis. The most recent outbreak of Histoplasmosis was in an east-central Illinois prison throughout the months of august through September in the year 2013. They are still finding cases so the investigation is still open, but they are currently at 78 cases. The breakout was causes by the pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum
Histoplasmosis is caused by the fungus Histoplasma, which lives throughout the world but is most common in North America and Central America. Histoplasma grows best in soil that contains bird or bat droppings. However, birds cannot spread the fungus in their droppings but bats can. People most often receive the disease causing illness after breathing in microscopic fungal spores that come from disturbed soil. The most common symptoms a person would get are coughing, fever, and fatigue and they usually appear within three and seventeen days. Other symptoms a person may experience are chills, headache chest pains, and body aches and these will most commonly last for a couple of weeks to a month unless they become severe. In severe cases of Histoplasmosis the disease can develop into a long term lung infection and even possibly spread to areas of the body like the spinal cord or the brain. Almost every healthcare provider can order a test for histoplasmosis. For a doctor to diagnosis histoplasmosis the best they need a urine sample or a blood sample, they also need to know physical examinations, symptoms, and your medical and travel history. The treatment is fairly simple with a non-severe case and you should see a decline of your symptoms in a few weeks. In severe cases a doctor will prescribe an antifungal medication like Itraconazole, and can say you need the treatment for up to 3 months to a year. Histoplasmosis is most common among adults aged sixty-five years or older or people who have HIV/AIDS and a weakened immune system. Although, approximately sixty percent to ninety percent in the Midwest/South have been exposed to Histoplasmosis. The most recent outbreak of Histoplasmosis was in an east-central Illinois prison throughout the months of august through September in the year 2013. They are still finding cases so the investigation is still open, but they are currently at 78 cases. The breakout was causes by the pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum
Cited: http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/histoplasmosis/index.html