Bats of the United States and Canada

Histoplasmosis

recto runninghead 63 Histoplasmosis Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that, in humans, primarily affects the lungs, but other organs may also be affected. The fungus that causes this disease, Histoplasma capsulatum, occurs throughout the world, where it grows in soil and in deposits of bat guano, in poultry-house litter, and in droppings beneath roosts used by birds. When contaminated soil or droppings are disturbed, spores become airborne and can be breathed into the lungs, leading to infection. Of all reported cases in humans, 90% are from the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys, where warm and humid weather conditions favor fungal growth. Most cases result in flu-like symptoms, although some individuals may become seriously ill. If untreated, histoplasmosis can be fatal. The disease is rare or nonexistent in most of Canada and in the far northern and western United States. When removing guano from attics, walls, or elsewhere, people should wear appropriate clothing and use a high-quality respirator to keep fungal spores from entering the body. Histoplasmosis is not transmitted between people. ...