Histoplasmosis

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors When to seek medical advice

Tests and diagnosis Complications Treatments and drugs Prevention

Definition

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide get a lung disease called histoplasmosis. It's transmitted through airborne spores that you breathe into your lungs when you work in or around soil that contains a fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum. Farmers, landscapers, construction workers and people who have contact with bird or bat droppings are especially at risk for histoplasmosis.

Most people with histoplasmosis never develop signs and symptoms and aren't aware they have the infection. But for some people — primarily infants and those with compromised immune systems — histoplasmosis can be serious.

Effective treatments are available for even the most severe forms of histoplasmosis. But these therapies often involve extensive hospital stays and can cause serious side effects. That's why it's important for people with compromised immune systems to avoid exposure to histoplasmosis.

NEXT:

Symptoms