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During the winter, all signs of a coughing in the opposite direction are generally associated with the beginning of a Virus like COVVI-19 , the flu, or RSV. But in addition to typical seasonal microbial enemies, there are other types of respiratory diseases that can make us seriously sick, and they are not as well known. From now on, centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that a dangerous fungal infection is spreading to new parts of the United States, read the rest to see what places are affected and what it could mean for you.

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Although we associate most of the respiratory infections with viruses and bacteria, it is not the only microorganisms that can make us sick. Blastomyces is a type of mold Found in nature where there is a lot of wet soil or wood and decomposing leaves, depending on the CDC.

Humans or animals that disturb the areas where it develops can release its microscopic fungal spores in the air, which they then breathe in their lungs. The increase in temperature inside the body then allows spores to transform themselves into yeast, creating a fungal infection known as blastomycosis, according to the CDC. In serious cases, yeast can spread to other parts of the body, including the skin, bones, vital organs and the central nervous system.

Unfortunately, research shows that the fungus can be quite dangerous. According to a CDC study, hospital For symptomatic patients, patients can vary from 57 to 69%, and mortality rates can vary from 4 to 22%.

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The reported cases of blastomycosis remain relatively rare in the United States, with about a little less than Two per 100,000 people annually, according to CDC data. But the agency underlines that the fungus is also somewhat geographically limited, with a natural range which includes the Midwest, the Mississippi river and the Ohio River valleys, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

To date, Wisconsin is the state with the most reported cases, including 10 to 40 annual cases per 100,000 people each year, especially among the most northern counties, according to the CDC. The limited range means that Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin are the only states where health services actively monitor the disease. Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois also reported cases between 1978 and 2017.

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However, new data show that fungal infection could expand its territory. In a study published in the edition in February 2024 of the CDC review Emerging infectious diseases , a team of researchers analyzed health insurance complaints at Vermont from 2011 to 2020 to help identify cases of diagnosed blastomycosis. The results have shown that the State has experienced a rate of 1.8 patients per 100,000 people over the delay, making it the second higher of all states in addition to Wisconsin.

"Our results ... align with an increasing set of evidence suggesting that the burden of endemic blastomycosis is greater than commonly appreciated," wrote the authors of the study in their conclusion. They added that the results "question routine hypotheses" on infection and justify future studies to better understand the disease.

The study team also underlined other points in common in the data, in particular that the three counties who saw the most blastomycosis of Vermont were also the most northern in the state. This could also suggest that Blastomyces could be more extensive than The medical community realizes .

"This disease is probably more frequent in Vermont than we thought before and perhaps also in other states", " Brian Borah , MD, medical director of monitoring preventable diseases at vaccination at the Chicago Department of Public Health and the main author of the latest study, told USA today . "I think it is important that clinicians are aware and to have this diagnosis in their list of possibilities when they see patients."

According to the CDC, the symptoms of blastomycosis can develop between Three weeks and three months After a patient inhaled the spores. Many are similar to what people experience with a cold or flu, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, night sweats and muscle pain or joint pain. Others may undergo weight loss, extreme fatigue and chest, ribs or back pain. However, signs of infection could also become more serious.

"Some of the other less common presentations include skin manifestations, so that people can have skin lesions. More rarely, patients can have lesions in their bones. The infection can sometimes even involve the central nervous system or the brain" said Borah USA today . "Although it is a rare disease and some people do not have symptoms, it can still be a deadly disease. There are still people who die from this disease each year."

Patients with blastomycosis can be treated with antifungal drugs. However, doctors say that, since the infection is relatively rare and similar to pneumonia, it is not uncommon to be badly diagnosed at the beginning. And although initial infections can occur by breathing in invisible fungal spores, the disease is not contagious.

"The fungus does not spread from one animal to another, from one person to another or from a person to one person", " Suzanne Gibbons-Burgener , MD, epidemiologist of infectious diseases at Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said USA today .

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