Rare Blastomycosis illness often mistaken for pneumonia

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Rare Blastomycosis illness often mistaken for pneumonia

Thursday, 30 April 2009

http://www.maconnews.com/index.php?option=com_content & task=view & id=4627 & Itemid=1\

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MADISON, Wis. — It's an uncommon but potentially serious illness often mistaken

for pneumonia. Even if you don't get ill, it could sicken or even kill your dog.

And the risk comes from the soil, so avoiding it during outdoor activities may

be impossible.

Blastomycosis is a fungal infection originating from soil that is contaminated

from decomposed debris, animal carcasses or excrement. Although overall it

affects humans infrequently, those who love the outdoors can encounter " blasto "

in camping, fishing and hunting areas close to water and the dogs that often

trot along with the humans are also quite susceptible. Disturbing contaminated

soil releases the fungal spores into the air.

Tainted earth linked to the infection has been found in many areas of North

America including the Midwest, Ohio/Mississippi River Valley, southeastern

Atlantic and southern Canada.

Most states don't keep statistics on blastomycosis, although the Wisconsin

Department of Public Health says an average of 86 cases were reported annually

in the mid-to-late 1990s. The infection is not contagious and can't be passed to

other humans.

According to Dr. Bruce Klein, professor of pediatrics and an infectious-disease

researcher at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health,

blastomycosis begins after a person inhales spores that come out of the

contaminated soil.

" In the lungs, the spores cause an infection that may enter the bloodstream,

skin, bone, urinary tract, and central nervous system. Patients can get very

sick, " he says.

Symptoms are similar to pneumonia: a dry cough and fever leading to muscle

aches; night sweats; coughing up blood; shortness of breath; and chest

tightness. If the infection is diagnosed and treated promptly, 90 percent of

patients fully recover.

The problem is the incubation period may take up to three and a half months, and

people who think they have other common forms of pneumonia may actually have

blastomycosis, which is far more serious.

According to Klein, the most common drugs used to eradicate blastomycosis are

amphotericin B and a class of medications called azoles. Patients may have to

take them up to a year, and they come with possible side effects.

" Ampho B may cause anemia, impairment in kidneys, chills, shaking, nausea and

vomiting, " says Klein. " Azoles may cause gastro-intestinal side effects and

liver damage. "

" Sometimes, it becomes a balancing act on how to reduce the medication and its

side effects, while at the same time, giving the patient enough so it treats the

infection. "

Klein and others are researching other drugs to treat blastomycosis. While a

vaccine is not available for humans, there have been positive results in

experiments with animals.

" A vaccine we developed has been working very well on the mice we studied, " says

Klein. " We are still trying to understand how it works. "

Klein says mice infected with blastomycosis survived after being injected with

the experimental vaccine. Without the treatment, they all would've died within

three weeks.

Other tests are being conducted on dogs, which have been known to catch the

infection during hunting, fishing or camping trips with human companions. Klein

says a study in northern Wisconsin determined that up to two percent of dogs

acquired the blastomycosis fungus each year, and nearly twothirds died or were

euthanized after the infection was impossible or too costly to treat.

Fortunately, dogs cannot pass blasto to humans.

In the meantime, Klein says there's no way to avoid the infection, but adults

and children should not be discouraged from participating in outdoor activities.

" We aren't clear on specific recommendations to avoid the risks of getting this

infection, " he says. " However, if someone gets a case of pneumonia where

antibiotics have not worked, and they had been traveling in an area that's

endemic for blastomycosis, the disease should be considered by their physician. "