Histoplasmosis Overview

Causes

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that can occur almost anywhere in the world. In the United States, it is most common in the southeastern, mid-Atlantic, and central states.

The lungs are the point of entry for this infection. Histoplasma grows as a mold in the soil, and infection results from breathing in airborne particles. Soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings may have a higher concentration of histoplasma.

Histoplasmosis may have no symptoms. There may be a short period of active infection, or it can become chronic and spread throughout the body. Most patients with symptomatic histoplasmosis will have a flu-like syndrome and pulmonary (lung) complaints related to underlying pneumonia or other lung involvement. Individuals with chronic lung disease (e.g., emphysema , bronchiectasis ) may be at higher risk of a more severe infection.

If the body responds to infection with extreme ...