histoplasmosis
Sign in to saveHistoplasmosis is a fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. Symptoms of this infection vary greatly, but the disease affects primarily the lungs. Occasionally, other organs are affected; called disseminated histoplasmosis, it can be fatal if left untreated.
Key facts
- Medical condition (new).name
- Histoplasmosis
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- Cave disease, '''Darling's disease, Ohio valley disease, Reticuloendotheliosis, Spelunker's lung and Caver's disease'''
- Medical condition (new).image
- Histoplasmosis capsulatum.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- Histoplasma capsulatum. Methenamine silver stain showing histopathologic changes in histoplasmosis
- Medical condition (new).field
- Infectious disease
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
14 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Complications
- Mechanisms
- Diagnosis
- Types
- Prevention
- Treatment
- Prognosis
- Epidemiology
- Histoplasmosis in workplaces
- History
- Society and culture
- References
- External links
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. Symptoms of this infection vary greatly, but the disease affects primarily the lungs. Occasionally, other organs are affected; called disseminated histoplasmosis, it can be fatal if left untreated.
H. capsulatum is found in soil, often associated with decaying bat guano or bird droppings. Humans may inhale infectious spores after disrupting the soil via excavation or construction. H. capsulatum has a one to two week incubation period within human lungs before symptoms arise. The disease is common among AIDS patients due to their immunosuppression.