Fungi Q&A
There are three types of fungi – Histoplasma, Coccidioides and Blastomyces – this serious cause of infectious pneumonia was thought to be confined to certain regions of the United States. But now they are more open in the fields; Tina Hesman Saey reported “Where fungal infections of the lungs” (SN: 1/14/23, p. 32).
The story has raised so many questions from readers about the symptoms, treatments and tests of these fungal infections Saey answered them in an online asse-up article. An abbreviated version appears below.
How are they infected?
People are usually infected by inhaling fungal spores. Human activities, such as agriculture, horticulture and construction, can only disturb where these fungi live, stirring up spores. Bird droppings and bat guano can also be sources Histoplasma. Sweeping up dry manure increases the risk that spores are kicked into the air and inhaled.
When cleaning bird and bat droppings, it is best to wet them with a hose first. A person wearing a mode of exposure can be helped.
What are the symptoms and treatments?
People with healthy immune systems may show no symptoms or develop mild health flulikes, including fever, cough, fatigue, chills, and body aches. Other symptoms may include chest pain or discomfort, weight loss, headache, muscle or joint pain, shortness of breath or night sweats.
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People with coccidioidomycosis, also known as valley fever – the disease through Coccidioides – it can also be random in the legs or the upper body.
Symptoms may take time to appear. The disease caused by histoplasmosis Histoplasmacan be developed between three and 17 days after exposure. Symptoms of Valley fever can be seen between one and three weeks after exposure. For blastomycosis, the disease caused BlastomycesA signal attack can take anywhere from three weeks to three months.
Mild cases of all three infections usually clear up on their own, in a few weeks to a few months. But some people may have long-lasting symptoms, especially if the infection becomes severe. Some severe or long-term peripulmonary diseases may develop. And in a minority of people, the infections spread to other parts of the body. For example, Histoplasma it spreads to the liver, spleen, bone marrow, glands and intestines. Blastomyces and Coccidioides often target articles. All three fungi can spread to the brain, where they cause abscesses or meningitis — inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
Doctors may order blood or urine tests, chest X-rays or CT scans to help diagnose fungal infections. In some cases, the doctor needs to test a small amount of body tissue or fluid from the spine or lungs.
Antifungal medications and other medications can help treat infections and symptoms. If caught early, most people make a full recovery.
Who is in danger?
Infections and serious illness from all three fungi occur more frequently in men than in women, but the reason is unclear. People who are pregnant, living with HIV/AIDS or have weakened immune systems for other reasons are at higher risk of more serious disease. So are older people and those with diabetes.
Visit mycoses.org to assess your risk for fungal disease based on where you live.
Editor’s note
The study was featured in “A New and Discovered Dinosaur Had a Look” (SN: 1/16/21, p. 11) was taken away Research Cretaceous in September 2021. In an email to Science News Journal editor Lantice Brett stated that the deduction was due to ethical and legal concerns “about specimen export permits.” [which] remaining in doubt nine months later [the study’s] initial publication “.
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