Deadly Soil Fungi Causes Serious Lung Infection Uptick in 48 States, Study Shows

In 48 states, there has been an increase in cases of serious lunch infection caused by deadly soil fungi.

In 48 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, serious lung infections caused by fungi in the soil are a significant problem, even in many regions long believed to be free of dangerous environmental fungi. According to a recent study conducted by scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, this is the case.

According to studies from the 1950s and 1960s, fungus-related lung infections were a problem only in specific regions of the nation. However, that is no longer the case, according to a new study.

According to the researchers, doctors who rely on out-of-date maps of disease-causing fungi in the US may overlook the symptoms of a fungal lung infection, leading to delayed or incorrect diagnoses.

Andrej Spec, MD, an associate professor of medicine, points out that people don't realize how common and growing fungal infections are.

Spec is a specialist in fungal infections and the senior author of the study featured in the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis website.

Spec says that every few weeks, he receives a call from a different doctor in the Boston area about a case they are unable to resolve. They always begin by stating that although they don't have histo in their area, it actually resembles histo. Spec asserts that there is histo in the area of concern.

Histoplasma / Histo

Histoplasma, also known as histo, is one of the three major species of soil fungi in the US that cause lung infections. Historically, Histoplasma was prevalent in the Midwest and some regions of the East, Coccidioides was prevalent in the Southwest, and Blastomyces was prevalent in the Midwest and the South. However, an increasing number of case studies and anecdotes indicate that all three have recently left their traditional ranges, most likely as a result of climate change.

People who breathe in spores from soil-borne fungi develop fungal lung infections. When the ground is disturbed by activities like farming, construction, landscaping, or even just people walking around in fungi-rich environments like caves, the spores become airborne. The majority of healthy adults and children can recover quickly from a fungal infection, but infants, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems may experience symptoms like fever, coughing, fatigue, and other signs and symptoms. Fungal lung infections are sometimes easily can be mistaken for bacterial infections or viral lung infections such as bacterial pneumonia, COVID-19, and tuberculosis.

Lung Infection, Histoplasmosis

An infection known as histoplasmosis is brought on by the fungus Histoplasma. The fungus thrives in the natural world, particularly in soil that has been heavily contaminated by bat droppings or bird droppings.

After inhaling the microscopic fungus spores, people can develop histoplasmosis. The majority of people who breathe in the spores don't get sick, but those who do might experience fatigue, fever, and coughing. The majority of those who contract histoplasmosis recover without the need for medication, but in some cases, the infection can become severe, such as in those with weaker immune systems.

Patrick B. Mazi, MD, a clinical fellow in infectious diseases, says that people who have a fungal lung infection frequently struggle for weeks to receive the proper diagnosis and care while also feeling terrible. Even though they frequently visit the doctor for testing and diagnosis, the doctor typically doesn't consider a fungal infection until all other options have been ruled out. Mazi is the lead author of the study.

Read also: Harmful Pathogens, Fungi Can Hitch on Wildfire Smoke and Cause Sickness, Valley Fever in Far Cities 

Updating 1969 Maps

To find out where soil fungi are currently making people ill, the team consisting of Spec, Mazi, and their colleagues conducted research. The last time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its maps of pathogenic fungi was in 1969.

The team estimated the number of fungus-related lung infections in the US for the study. All 50 states and the District of Columbia's Medicare fee-for-service claims were utilized. Counties were deemed to have a significant number of such infections if they had more than 100 cases per 100,000 person-years of Histoplasma or Coccidioides infections.

A significant number of lung infections were caused by Histoplasma, 339 by Coccidioides, and 547 by Blastomyces in 1,806 of the 3,143 US counties. The majority of the US was covered by these counties. 94% of the counties in the 50 states plus DC had a problem with Histoplasma lung infections, 69% had a problem with Coccidioides, and 78% had a problem with Blastomyces.

Spec added that people don't realize how common and spreading fungal infections are. The study and creation of treatments for fungi infections have received insufficient funding from the scientific community. That, according to Spec, is gradually beginning to change. The medical profession must understand that these fungi are essentially ubiquitous today and that it is important to consider them seriously when making diagnoses, SciTech Daily reports.

The study by Spec, Mazi, and their colleagues was published recently in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Related article: Drought Makes California Soil Breeding Grounds for Fungus that Cause Valley Fever