Table of Contents
- 1 What does Blastomyces mean?
- 2 What is the best treatment for blastomycosis?
- 3 How do you treat a fungal infection in a dog’s lung?
- 4 How is Blastomyces dermatitidis treated?
- 5 What does blastomycosis do to your body?
- 6 Why is it called Chicago disease?
- 7 How to diagnose Blastomyces dermatitidis in the lung?
- 8 Who is most at risk for Blastomyces dermatitidis?
What does Blastomyces mean?
Blastomycosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Blastomyces. The fungus lives in the environment, particularly in moist soil and in decomposing matter such as wood and leaves.
What is the best treatment for blastomycosis?
Itraconazole is a type of antifungal medication that is typically used to treat mild to moderate blastomycosis. Amphotericin B is usually recommended for severe blastomycosis in the lungs or infections that have spread to other parts of the body.
What causes blastomycosis?
Blastomycosis is usually caused by inhaling airborne spores from contaminated soil into the lungs. Spores are more likely to be airborne after contaminated soil is disturbed by activities such as excavation, construction, digging, or wood clearing.
In what part of the United States is blastomycosis endemic?
Blastomycosis. Blastomycosis is considered endemic to the south-central, southeastern, and midwestern US states, particularly those bordering the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and in parts of the United States and Canada surrounding the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River (2,5).
How do you treat a fungal infection in a dog’s lung?
Oxygen therapy and a prolonged course of systemic antifungal medication can be used to treat fungal pneumonia. Your veterinarian may also prescribe anti-inflammatory medications. Depending on your pet’s condition and the severity of the illness, he or she may need to be hospitalized.
How is Blastomyces dermatitidis treated?
Amphotericin B and itraconazole continue to be the main drugs used in the treatment of blastomycosis. Clinical data are insufficient on using newer drugs (ie, posaconazole, caspofungin, micafungin) for treating affected patients. Itraconazole is the drug of choice in mild-to-moderate pulmonary blastomycosis.
Is blastomycosis serious?
Blastomycosis is an uncommon, but potentially serious fungal infection. It primarily affects the lungs, and is caused by the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. The signs and symptoms of illness that can result from exposure to this soil organism are variable.
Can blastomycosis be fatal?
Blastomycosis is a potentially fatal fungal infection endemic to parts of North America.
What does blastomycosis do to your body?
Blastomycosis is an infectious disease characterized by fever, chills, headaches, chest pain, weight loss, night sweats, cough, and/or difficulty breathing (dyspnea). Some affected individuals do not experience these symptoms although they are actively infected (asymptomatic).
Why is it called Chicago disease?
Blastomycosis [blasʺto-mi-koʹsis] Stokes, he subsequently isolated the organism, which he named Blastomyces dermatitidis. The infection became known as Chicago disease because most early cases were identified in the Chicago area, but it was subsequently shown to be endemic to much of eastern North America.
What kind of fungus is Blastomyces dermatitidis?
Blastomyces dermatitidis is a thermally dimorphic fungus that grows as a mycelial form in the environment and as a thick-walled budding yeast in tissues (at 37°C). It causes blastomycosis, a chronic granulomatous and suppurative disease also called Gilchrist disease or North American blastomycosis.
Where does Blastomyces dermatitidis grow in North America?
B. dermatitidis grows as a mold in warm, moist wooded terrain rich in decaying wood, leaves or debris. Geographically, it is endemic to North America, including the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and Canada. Blastomycosis cases have also been documented in India, Africa, and Central and South America.
How to diagnose Blastomyces dermatitidis in the lung?
Blastomyces dermatitidis in Lung Fine Needle Aspiration Assay stained with PAS. The insert shows large broad-based budding as a daughter cell is being produced. Sometimes, special staining like Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) and Gomori Methenamine Silver Stain (GMS) may be required for the identification.
Who is most at risk for Blastomyces dermatitidis?
Human infection results following the inhalation of airborne conidia when soil containing microfoci of mycelia is disturbed. Men are affected more often than women, with the ratio of men to women ranging from 4 : 1 to 15 : 1. Although blastomycosis affects immunocompromised individuals, it can affect healthy individuals as well.