What is histoplasmosis and blastomycosis?
Histoplasmosis and blastomycosis are caused by dimorphic fungi, can be epidemic or endemic, and can produce a spectrum of illness, from subclinical infection to progressive disseminated disease. Diagnosis of both is best made by visualization of yeast in tissue or by culture.
What type of fungus is Histoplasma capsulatum?
Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that remains in a mycelial form at ambient temperatures and grows as yeast at body temperature in mammals. Infection causes histoplasmosis.
What disease does Histoplasma capsulatum?
Histoplasmosis is a lung disease caused by an infection with a fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum. The pulmonary (lung) infection results from inhaling airborne spores of the fungus. The fungus is common in the U.S. in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and is common in soil contaminated by bird or bat droppings.
What bacteria causes blastomycosis?
Blastomycosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Blastomyces. The fungus lives in the environment, particularly in moist soil and in decomposing matter such as wood and leaves.
Is Histoplasma contagious?
Histoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by inhaling the spores of a fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum. Histoplasmosis is not contagious; it cannot be transmitted from an infected person or animal to someone else. Histoplasmosis primarily affects a person’s lungs, and its symptoms vary greatly.
What is Histoplasma?
Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Histoplasma. The fungus lives in the environment, particularly in soil that contains large amounts of bird or bat droppings.
Is Histoplasma capsulatum a fungi?
Histoplasmosis is caused by the reproductive cells (spores) of the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. They float into the air when dirt or other material is disturbed. The fungus thrives in damp soil that’s rich in organic material, especially the droppings from birds and bats.
Is Histoplasma capsulatum a yeast?
Histoplasma capsulatum: a global fungal pathogen capsulatum yeasts are adapted to infect mammalian macrophages.
How is Histoplasma capsulatum transmitted?
Histoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by inhaling the spores of a fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum. Histoplasmosis is not contagious; it cannot be transmitted from an infected person or animal to someone else.
Is blastomycosis curable?
Most people will need antifungal treatment for blastomycosis. Most people with blastomycosis will need treatment with prescription antifungal medication. Itraconazole is a type of antifungal medication that is typically used to treat mild to moderate blastomycosis.
How is blastomycosis acquired?
Blastomycosis is a rare fungal infection usually acquired by breathing in the spores of the fungi Blastomyces dermatitidis or Blastomyces gilchristii. These fungi can be found in moist soils, particularly in wooded areas and along waterways.
What kills Histoplasma?
Although there are no EPA approved chemicals or disinfectants known to kill Histoplasmosis, the generally accepted method of eradication involves wetting/misting areas with high concentrations of droppings with a 10:1 solution of water to bleach.
Which is the best treatment for blastomycosis and histoplasmosis?
Itraconazole is currently the treatment of choice for blastomycosis and histoplasmosis. 1,16,26 Amphotericin B and fluconazole may be used as well, especially in severe cases or CNS signs. 1,16 In a study of 8 cats with histoplasmosis, long-term itraconazole treatment was well tolerated and cured all the patients. 15
Are there any cases of disseminated histoplasmosis?
One case of disseminated histoplasmosis presenting as an acquired skin fragility syndrome has been reported. 18
Which is the endemic area for histoplasmosis in Europe?
In both cases diagnosis was confirmed by post-mortem examination, including histology, special stains and immunohistochemistry. 3,5 Italy, Germany and Turkey should be considered endemic areas for histoplasmosis, as suggested by the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECME) Working Group. 8
How can you tell if you have blastomycosis?
The characteristic morphology of the yeast cells (thick-walled, 8-12 μm cells without capsule for B. dermatidis ; round to oval intracellular yeast cells with a basophilic centre surrounded by a light halo for H. capsulatum) is in most cases sufficient to confirm the diagnosis.