Histoplasmosis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Histoplasmosis, also known as Darling's disease , is a disease caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The Symptoms vary greatly but it primarily affects the lungs. It rarely invades other parts of the body. The infection is usually mild and asymptomatic, but in approximately 5% of cases it causes a sudden, short-term (up to 10 days), flu-like respiratory illness. In very rare cases (1% to 5%) it can produce serious syndromes that progress rapidly and may result in death. Because of the similarity in symptoms, histoplasmosis is sometimes mistaken for tuberculosis. Approximately 500,000 people are exposed to H . capsulatum annually in the United States. The fungus has been found in poultry house litter, caves, areas harboring bats, and in bird roosts (particularly those of starlings ). The fungus is thermal dimorphic. In the environment it grows as a brownish mycelium, whereas at body temperature it morphs into a yeast . The inoculum is represented principally by microconidia that once inhaled into the alveolar spaces germinate and then transform into budding yeast cells.

An infectious disease caused by the inhalation of spores of Histoplasma capsulatum, most often asymptomatic but occasionally producing acute pneumonia or an influenza like illness and spreading to other organs and systems in the body. The disease can be mild, as in primary pulmonary histoplasmosis which is a type of pneumonia and resembles a cold or flu, or severe, as in progressive histoplasmosis where infection spreads from the lungs to other parts of the body, notably the liver and spleen, and causes skin lesions (most often as a mouth ulcer). The severe forms of the disease most commonly occur in people with immune system disorders such as AIDS , and are often fatal.

Symptoms of Histoplasmosis

Some of the common sign and symptoms of the disease Histoplasmosis are as follows:

• General ill feeling.
• Fever.
• Dry or nonproductive cough.
• Tiredness.
• Skin lesions.
• Breathing problems.
• Weight loss.
• Liver enlargement.

Causes of Histoplasmosis

:The common causes and risk factor's of Folliculitis include the following:

• Exposure to soil contaminated with bird and bat droppings. 
• Lung disease. 
• Very young or very old age. 
• Cigarette smoking. 
• Conditions that suppress the immune system, including AIDS, corticosteroid therapy, organ transplantation, and chemotherapy. 

Treatment of Histoplasmosis

Find effective treatment methods of treating Histoplasmosis:

• Acute primary histoplasmosis generally requires no treatment other than rest.
• The only proven treatment for OHS is a form of laser surgery called photocoagulation.
• The mainstay of therapy for histoplasmosis is antifungal therapy.
• Patients with AIDS must continue to take the drug itraconazole (Sporonox) orally for the rest of their lives in order to prevent a relapse.
• Non-prescription drugs such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be used to treat pain and relieve fever.
• Avoiding smoke and using a cool air humidifier may ease chest pain.