The rare fungal disease blastomycosis may be more widespread than previously thought, according to a new study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, a journal from the CDC, on January 24, 2024.

Borah BF, Meddaugh P, Fialkowski V, et al. Using Insurance Claims Data to Estimate Blastomycosis Incidence, Vermont, USA, 2011–2020. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2024;30(2):372-375. doi:10.3201/eid3002.230825.

 

 

What is blastomycosis?

 

 

The death rate from blastomycosis is between 4% and 22%, according to the study.

Borah BF, Meddaugh P, Fialkowski V, et al. Using Insurance Claims Data to Estimate Blastomycosis Incidence, Vermont, USA, 2011–2020. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2024;30(2):372-375. doi:10.3201/eid3002.230825.

However, not all people who breathe in Blastomyces will contract the disease or be at risk for death. 

 

So far, blastomycosis has been thought to be endemic in some areas of the United States that border the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, the Great Lakes, and the St. Lawrence Seaway. As a result, public health surveillance of the fungal disease has been limited to Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin—states considered to be impacted.

The new study reveals, however, that blastomycosis also has a noteworthy presence in Vermont, with higher annual infection rates than some of the endemic areas.

Dall C. Study suggests fungal disease blastomycosis may be more widespread than thought. University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy. January 25, 2024.

 

Researchers say their findings suggest “the burden of endemic blastomycosis is greater than commonly appreciated,” and that they “challenge routine assumptions about the epidemiology and ecology of this disease and reflect a need for future studies.”

Dall C. Study suggests fungal disease blastomycosis may be more widespread than thought. University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy. January 25, 2024.

 

 

What the study found

 

The study identified 114 Vermont patients with the disease, 34 of whom were hospitalized with the condition during the study period. Four associated deaths were also reported.

 

The researchers note that there are inconsistencies in surveillance methods and terminology among states, which make “direct comparisons difficult.”

They write, however, that “Vermont’s burden of blastomycosis appears comparable to, and perhaps higher than, most states that have published blastomycosis incidences.”

 

Treatment for blastomycosis

 

Not everyone who gets infected with Blastomyces will become symptomatic. According to the CDC, about half of people who are infected with the fungus experience symptoms.

About Blastomycosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When symptoms do occur, they can take about 3 weeks to 3 months to appear. Many symptoms are similar to those of lung infections, like fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, and cough. Other symptoms, including skin lesions, raised bumps, blisters, or ulcers, may appear as well.

 

It is unclear if these guidelines will change in the aftermath of the study.

“Those who live in endemic areas and participate in activities that may expose them to this fungus, such as those who are exposed to plant matter or soil, are primarily at risk,” Lauren Thayer, RN, a registered nurse with Healthcanal, tells MDLinx.

Thayer recommends that those worried about contracting the disease wear high-quality masks, such as an N95, when visiting at-risk areas or working with patients.

First-line treatment for the condition is an antifungal medication such as Amphotericin B.