Chronic cavitary pulmonary histoplasmosis (CCPH) is characterized by low-grade chronic symptoms, persistent cavitation, and the development of pulmonary fibrosis and progressive pulmonary insufficiency [16, 17]. CCPH has been reported in immunocompetent individuals but is more common in patients with HIV/AIDS or other immunosuppressed states. Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that can grow as yeast or mold. The yeast form is found in soil throughout the world, including most parts of the United States. The mold form grows only in submerged tissue; it cannot live outside of water-soaked material. H. capsulatum infection usually results from contact with airborne particles containing the organism or its spores. Infection typically occurs after inhalation of the yeast cells or fragments of yeast cells that have broken off from other infected tissues. Yeast cells may enter through small cuts in the skin or via the mucous membranes of the mouth or lungs. Infectious particles may also be transmitted from animal to human or from human to human.
Patients are most likely to develop histoplasmosis after exposure to contaminated soil near freshwater sources because this is where you will find the fungus growing in its mold form. Patients do not become immune to the disease despite repeated infections; instead, their immune systems clear out the infection completely.
Mild to severe instances of acute pulmonary histoplasmosis usually resolve on their own. However, therapy is recommended for moderate to severe acute pulmonary, chronic pulmonary, disseminated, and CNS histoplasmosis. Treatment involves an antifungal drug such as itraconazole or amphotericin B for at least 12 months after symptoms resolve.
Histoplasmosis is a lung illness caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Inhaling fungal spores in the air causes lung infection. The fungus is ubiquitous in the Ohio and Mississippi River regions of the United States and is found in soil polluted by bird or bat droppings. Infection can also occur after contact with animal urine or feces contaminated with the fungus.
Infection occurs when particles containing the fungus enter the lungs. People are usually infected by breathing in airborne fungal spores. Rarely, people may be infected through direct contact with animals or their manure. After inhalation, the spores attach themselves to cells in the lungs and grow into colonies of fungi. If not treated, histoplasmosis can cause serious health problems.
The only known cure for histoplasmosis is surgery to remove all of the patient's lymph nodes and organs affected by the disease. Even then, patients often experience recurrences. There is no effective treatment other than these surgeries for people who have not yet been diagnosed with the disease.
Many people become sick with histoplasmosis after visiting areas where the fungus grows extensively, such as parts of Canada or Mexico. To prevent getting this disease, keep away from areas where the fungus is present by staying on paved roads and not walking through fields or forests.
Histoplasmosis is caused by a fungus that infects the lungs and causes pneumonia. Infection occurs when spores from the fungus are breathed in. The spore-forming organism grows best at temperatures between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also grow in soil with moisture available all year round, such as near bodies of water or underground.
Infected individuals produce antibodies that help fight off future infections. Without treatment, histoplasmosis can be fatal.
Diagnosing histoplasmosis requires testing specimens from the lungs using microscopy or DNA sequencing. Treatment involves fungal medications that kill both fungi and bacteria. It may not work on viruses so there is no cure for histoplasmosis but it can be controlled with medication.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Stamina Comfort Inc.
