Fungal Disease Outbreak Emerges in the US, More than 35 People Infected

Illustration of a fungal outbreak in the United States. (Freepik)

JAKARTA - Health authorities in the state of Tennessee, United States issued a warning regarding the spread of a potentially deadly fungus. In a period of three months, more than 35 cases of histoplasmosis have been confirmed in the Maury County and Williamson County areas.

Histoplasmosis is a lung infection caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The data was delivered by the Tennessee Department of Health on January 12.

In addition, a family revealed that a woman allegedly died from this infection, after the positive test result for histoplasmosis came out two days after the person concerned died.

However, state epidemiologists stressed that the investigation is still ongoing and the cause of death has not been directly confirmed to be related to histoplasmosis.

In a presentation to the Williamson County Board of Commissioners, health officials also said that the average age of infected patients is 50 years old.

Histoplasma capsulatum fungi are commonly found in soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings. Transmission occurs when a person inhales the fungal spores that are flying in the air. Until now, no one has found the same source of exposure in the cases in Tennessee.

Most people exposed do not show symptoms. However, histoplasmosis can cause respiratory disorders with varying degrees of severity, ranging from mild to life-threatening. Symptoms usually appear within three to 17 days after exposure, including fever, cough, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches, chills, and chest pain.

Because the symptoms are similar to flu or colds, this disease is often not detected or misdiagnosed. Dr. Zaid Fadul, CEO of Bespoke Concierge MD in California explained that most people are actually not at high risk.

According to him, the body is generally able to fight infections because the number of spores inhaled is relatively small. However, groups with weak immune systems or those exposed to large amounts of spores have a higher risk.

"If the immune system is compromised, histoplasmosis can develop into a serious, life-threatening disease," he said, quoted from the New York Post website.

Most cases do not require special treatment, but antifungal drugs are available for severe conditions. Tennessee health officials confirmed that some patients had to be hospitalized, some of whom were in critical condition.

Diagnosis of histoplasmosis can be done through blood or urine tests in the laboratory. Other methods used include examination of respiratory fluid, chest X-ray, CT scan, or tissue biopsy.

To prevent infection, the public is advised to limit activities that disturb the ground, especially in dusty areas. The use of masks is also recommended when carrying out high-risk outdoor activities.

"Being active outdoors is healthy, but if the environment is dusty or done for a long time, it is best to use a mask to reduce the spores inhaled," said Fadul.

Prior to this outbreak, histoplasmosis was only included in the mandatory reporting diseases in 14 states in the US. The disease is not contagious between humans and cannot be transmitted from humans to animals.

People who experience respiratory symptoms and feel that they have been exposed to Histoplasma are advised to consult a doctor immediately, especially if antibiotic treatment does not show improvement.

"With this outbreak and the latest antigen test method, unclear respiratory disorders should be quickly diagnosed and treated. Histoplasmosis can indeed be fatal in some patients, but it can actually be prevented and treated." concluded Fadul.