Where is Histoplasma capsulatum found?
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Histoplasmosis is a rare fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. Infection occurs by inhaling spores of the fungus, which is found in soil. In North America, histoplasmosis occurs primarily in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.
How common is Histoplasma capsulatum?
One study calculated the incidence of histoplasmosis in adults aged 65 years and older in the U.S. to be 3.4 cases per 100,000 population. Rates were highest in the Midwest, with an estimated 6.1 cases per 100,000 population.
How common is histoplasmosis in the US?
Histoplasmosis is the most common endemic fungal infection in North America that affects the lungs. Each year, up to 250,000 people in the U.S. are found to have histoplasmosis.
Where is coccidioidomycosis found?
Valley fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides. The fungus is known to live in the soil in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America. The fungus was also recently found in south-central Washington.
Is Histoplasma capsulatum a yeast?
Histoplasma capsulatum: a global fungal pathogen capsulatum yeasts are adapted to infect mammalian macrophages.
How long does Histoplasma capsulatum live?
SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Histoplasma capsulatum is found primarily in nitrogen rich soils with a pH ranging between 5-10(1). Moist soils at temperatures between -18 to 37ºC can support the growth of the fungus. Organisms are known to survive in excess of 10 years in soil.
Is bat poop toxic?
However, bat guano is dangerous, particularly if it is in a home or even outdoors if it is in a place where people might disturb it. When bat guano is disturbed it releases spores that can infect you with diseases.
What states have Valley fever?
The fungus that causes Valley fever lives in the soil in the southwestern United States, south-central Washington State, and parts of Mexico and Central and South America.
Why is coccidioidomycosis called Valley fever?
Valley fever is caused by a person inhaling spores of certain fungi. The fungi that cause valley fever — Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii — live in the soil in parts of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, California, Texas and Washington. It’s named after the San Joaquin Valley in California.
Does Valley fever still exist?
While rare at a national level, Valley fever is common in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Every year, 150,000 people in the U.S. are infected, and Arizona is home to two-thirds of them.