Blastomycosis is an infection caused by inhaling the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. As a relatively rare communicable disease, blastomycosis usually occurs as an isolated event with only a small number of outbreaks or clusters, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It is most prevalent in the south-central and midwestern United States and Canada with only 1 to 2 per 100,000 people contracting the fungus, according to a September 2008 article in the New York Times Health Guide. If a person suspects blastomycosis as a probable condition, he should immediately contact a health care professional for treatment.
Causes
The fungus primarily resides in wooded areas and requires a specific temperature, humidity and nutrition to proliferate. Upon disruption of the soil or dead foliage, the spores of the fungus release and enter the lungs. It can affect both humans and animals--most usually dogs. According to MedlinePlus, blastomycosis is more likely to affect persons with weakened immune systems such as those with HIV or those who have had an organ transplant. Women are less likely to contract the disease than men.
Symptoms
The initial lung infection may not show any obvious outward signs, however, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptomatic infection occurs in 50 percent of cases and can present as a flu-like condition with fever, chest pain, muscle and joint pain, a productive cough of brown or bloody mucus, fatigue, and general discomfort. Some patients fail to recover and the disease eventually spreads. These patients can develop skin or bone lesions, as well as other complications that can affect the bladder, kidney, prostate and testes. In a case of severe symptoms, the affected patient should seek immediate medical care.
Treatment
Treatment may be unnecessary for infections that remain in the lungs. However, if the disease becomes severe or the patient has a compromised immune system, the physician will prescribe an antifungal treatment of fluconazole, itraconazole or ketoconazole. Each antifungal works by inhibiting fungal formation, preventing it from spreading. In extreme situations, amphotericin B can treat blastomycosis.
