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Lung Infections Caused by Fungi in Soil







A recent study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found certain fungi in soil can cause a significant number of serious lung infections in 48 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, including many areas long thought to be free of deadly environmental fungi.

Histoplasma is one of the three main species of soil fungi that cause lung infections in the U.S. Historically, Histoplasma was found in the Midwest and parts of the East, Coccidioides in the Southwest, and Blastomyces in the Midwest and the South. But a growing number of case reports and anecdotes suggest that all three have expanded out of their traditional ranges in recent decades.

People develop fungal lung infections after breathing in spores from fungi in the soil. The spores become airborne when the ground is disturbed by farming, landscaping, construction, or even just by people walking around in fungi-rich environments such as caves. Most healthy adults and children can fight off a fungal infection handily, but infants, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems may develop fever, cough, fatigue, and other symptoms. Fungal lung infections easily can be mistaken for bacterial or viral lung infections such as COVID-19, bacterial pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Histoplasma. The fungus lives in the environment, especially in soil that contains large amounts of bird or bat droppings. People can get histoplasmosis after breathing in the microscopic fungal spores from the air. Although most people who breathe in the spores don’t get sick, those who do may have a fever, cough, and fatigue. Many people who get histoplasmosis will get better on their own without medication, but in some people, such as those who have compromised immune systems, the infection can become severe.

Reference: “The Geographic Distribution of Dimorphic Mycoses in the United States for the Modern Era” by Patrick B Mazi, MD, John M Sahrmann, MA, Margaret A Olsen, PhD, Ariella Coler-Reilly, BA, Adriana M Rauseo, MD, Matthew Pullen, MD, Julio C Zuniga-Moya, MD, William G Powderly, MD and Andrej Spec, MD, 11 November 2022, Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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