Blastomycosis is most common in the Midwestern, South-Central, and Southeastern United States, particularly around the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, the Great Lakes, and the Saint Lawrence River. The highest incidence rates occur in Wisconsin and Minnesota, with northern areas of these states considered hyperendemic.

Where is blastomycosis in the United States?

Blastomycosis is endemic in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, and near the Great Lakes and southeastern parts of the United States. The annual incidence is less than 1 case per 100,000 people in the commonly affected states of Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Wisconsin.

Where does blastomycosis commonly occur?

It is most common around the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, Great Lakes, Saint Lawrence River, and western United States. The fungus also lives in Canada and a small number of blastomycosis cases have been reported from Africa and India.

Which area would you avoid living if you would like to avoid getting blastomycosis?

Blastomyces lives in dirt or rotting wood, usually in areas near water, and you can breathe it in if you disturb the ground.

What is the most common fungal infection in the United States?

The most common fungal infections are ringworm and vaginal yeast infections. Fungal infections range from mild to life-threatening, putting people with weakened immune systems at risk for the most fungal infections. Fungal disease outbreaks are rare, and some have occurred following extreme weather events.

Doc Talk - Blastomycosis

In what US state can the largest fungus be found?

“A Malheur National Forest cluster of Armillaria ostoyae, or honey mushroom, is part of the world's largest fungus, which engulfs 3.4 square miles -- that's 2,200 acres -- of Oregon. This massive mushroom is estimated to weigh 7,567 to 35,000 tons, which would make it the largest living organism in the world.

What are the odds of getting blastomycosis?

About half of the people who breath in fungal spores from Blastomyces become sick with blastomycosis. Risk of infection is higher among certain ethnic groups and among people who do more outdoor activities. People who are pregnant and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk of severe illness.

What does blastomycosis look like on skin?

Common sites of cutaneous lesions of blastomycosis are face, neck, scalp, and upper limbs. These may look elevated, crusted, warty, plaque-like, or ulcer-like and can vary in size from a few millimetres to several centimetres. Early lesions can also appear as papules or pustules.

What kills blastomycosis?

The antifungal itraconazole is usually used to treat mild to moderate blastomycosis. Amphotericin B is usually recommended for severe blastomycosis. Healthcare providers may test patients' blood to check if there is enough antifungal medication in their body.

Can you test your soil for blastomycosis?

Soil testing is very difficult and is generally unreliable as a predictor of Blastomycosis even in areas of known occurrence.

How do you know if fungus is in your lungs?

We may need to conduct a lung scan (such as a CT scan) or consider using a bronchoscopy (telescope examination of your lungs) to enable direct sampling using fluid from your lungs to understand the presence of fungal infections. Special blood tests can also help determine whether you have an infection.

Is blastomycosis a mold?

Blastomycosis is a fungal infection typically acquired by breathing in spores of the fungi Blastomyces dermatitidis or Blastomyces gilchristii. These fungi can be found in moist soils, particularly in wooded areas and along waterways.

What is blastomycosis in the yard?

This disease is rare and mostly affects those who are involved in outdoor activities, as the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis, is found in moist soil of rotting plants, leaves or wood. People can get blastomycosis by disturbing infected soil or plants, which releases tiny spores into the air.

Can poor hygiene cause fungal infections?

Poor hygiene can increase the risk of fungal infections. Fungi are naturally on and inside our bodies. But, when they grow too much, they can harm us. Keeping clean is key to stopping this.

Which animal is most susceptible to blastomycosis?

Blastomycosis is a systemic fungal infection that most commonly affects dogs, and to a lesser extent humans and other mammals. This mycosis is endemic in certain regions of the United States and Canada around the Great Lakes, and in the Ohio and in the Mississippi river valleys.

How can you tell if you have blastomycosis?

Symptoms of blastomycosis may include:

1. Cough, or cough with blood.
2. Fever.
3. Shortness of breath.
4. Chills and/or night sweats.
5. Fatigue.
6. Weight loss and poor appetite.
7. Joint or bone pain.
8. Back or chest pain.

How to tell if a rash is fungal or bacterial?

A bacterial skin infection usually develops when bacteria enter through a cut or wound, leading to swelling, pus, or painful rashes. In contrast, a fungal skin infection thrives in warm, moist areas like skin folds, often appearing as circular, scaly, and itchy patches.

What does blasto feel like?

Symptoms may develop between three weeks to three months following exposure and commonly include fever, cough, extreme fatigue, night sweats, muscle aches, and joint pain; however, about 50% of those infected will not become ill.

What states have blastomycosis?

In the United States, most blastomycosis cases are thought to occur in the midwestern, south-central, and southeastern states, in areas surrounding the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, the Great Lakes, and the Saint Lawrence River.

How long does blasto last?

Infection with Blastomyces species is asymptomatic in up to 50 per cent of cases. Incubation periods between exposure and clinical disease are typically 2 weeks to 3 months (median 43 days). Rarely, an incubation period may last many months to years due to reactivation or latent infections.

What fungus is spreading across the US?

Climate change may be driving an expansion of Valley fever, a deadly fungal infection spread by airborne spores. In the spring of 2021, shortly after moving from Seattle to Arizona, Marc Evans, a retired broadcast industry lawyer, began tending the vegetable garden in his niece's backyard.

What is the strongest antifungal in the world?

Amphotericin B is a life-saving drug in the treatment of serious systemic fungal infections and is still the most widely used antifungal in and intensive care, despite the development of a series of new antifungal agents, especially the second-generation triazoles and the echinocandins.

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