Histoplasmosis (cont.)
Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
In this Article
- What is histoplasmosis?
- What causes histoplasmosis?
- What are the symptoms and signs of histoplasmosis?
- Are there different types of histoplasmosis?
- How is histoplasmosis transmitted?
- How is histoplasmosis diagnosed?
- How is histoplasmosis treated?
- What are the complications seen with histoplasmosis?
- How is histoplasmosis prevented?
- What is the prognosis (outlook) for people with histoplasmosis?
- Where is more information available on histoplasmosis?
- Histoplasmosis At A Glance
How is histoplasmosis prevented?
People living in endemic areas like the Ohio River Valley are likely to be exposed to histoplasmosis no matter what they do, since the fungus is likely in the dust in the air. However, if they are healthy, most people that get exposed or infected with H. capsulatum will be asymptomatic. Immunosuppressed (those with HIV or cancer or who are receiving chemotherapy for cancer) might reduce their chances of exposure if they live in endemic areas by avoiding high dust areas like construction sites. Soil can be decontaminated with 3% formalin under special circumstances. If people need to work in potential high exposure areas like caves, bridges, construction sites, chicken coops, or other areas where bird and bat droppings could be concentrated, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends using a Part 84 particulate respirator certified by NIOSH. Some investigators suggest that simply watering down soil will help prevent dust formation and reduce the chance of exposure.
There is no vaccine for histoplasmosis. In some cases, H. capsulatum becomes dormant and may reactivate if the person becomes stressed or immunodepressed. Although people develop an immune response to histoplasmosis and recover with no complications, the response is not completely protective and the person can become reinfected with H. capsulatum.
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