Patient education: Histoplasmosis (The Basics)

What is histoplasmosis? — Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus.

The fungus that causes histoplasmosis lives in soil that contains bird or bat droppings. It can travel in dust specks that you can breathe in. Most people who get histoplasmosis get better without treatment.

The fungus that causes histoplasmosis is found in many places, including:

●Midwestern and central states in the United States, along the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys

●Some states along the east coast of the United States

●Mexico and Central and South America

●Parts of eastern and southern Europe, Africa, eastern Asia, and Australia

Most people living in areas where the histoplasmosis fungus is found never get sick. But infections can happen, especially in people who have trouble fighting infection and in people who are exposed to a large amount of the fungus, such as farm or construction workers or people who visit caves (called "spelunkers"). Histoplasmosis tends to affect the lungs. In rare cases, the infection can spread throughout the body, especially in people whose immune system is not working well.

What are the symptoms of histoplasmosis? — Often histoplasmosis causes no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they can happen weeks to months after you are exposed to the fungus. Symptoms can include:

●Fever

●Chills

●Headache

●Muscle aches

●Loss of appetite

●Trouble breathing

●Cough

●Chest pain when taking a deep breath

●Aching joints (sometimes with a skin rash)

If you have these symptoms, your doctor might do a chest X-ray to look at your lungs. The X-ray can give your doctor an idea of whether you are likely to have histoplasmosis or something else.

Is there a test for histoplasmosis? — Yes. If your doctor or nurse suspects you have histoplasmosis, they might do tests to look for signs of the infection. These can include blood or urine tests and tests on a sample of mucus that you cough up. There is also a test that involves putting a tube into your lungs to get a sample of fluid or tissue.

How is histoplasmosis treated? — Histoplasmosis does not always need to be treated. If you are fairly healthy, your doctor or nurse might want to wait and see if you can fight off the infection on your own. They will want to see you a few times to make sure you are getting better.

For people who do need to be treated, there are medicines called "anti-fungals" that can kill the fungus that causes histoplasmosis. Some people might need to take them for months or even years. This includes:

●People with HIV infection

●People who have had an organ transplant

●People with cancers of the blood

●People who take medicines called "steroids" or other medicines that partly "turn off" the immune system

Can histoplasmosis be prevented? — If you live in an area where histoplasmosis occurs, you can reduce your chances of getting the infection by doing the following:

●Do not disturb the soil in areas where birds roost

●Do not visit areas where buildings have been demolished

●Do not explore caves