Dozens sickened as potentially deadly fungus spreads in southern state

A potentially deadly fungus has been spreading throughout Tennessee, health officials have warned.

Over 35 cases of histoplasmosis, a lung infection caused by exposure to the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, have been confirmed in a three-month period in the Maury and Williamson County area, according to numbers presented on Jan. 12 by the Tennessee Department of Health.

A family has also spoken out with claims that one woman died after contracting histoplasmosis, with a positive test result returned two days after her death, according to a local report.

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However, during a briefing at the Williamson County Board of Commissioners, state epidemiologists said an investigation is underway and that the infection has not yet been confirmed as the direct cause of any fatalities.

They also noted that the average age of those infected is 50.

The fungus comes from soil that is contaminated with bird or bat droppings, according to state officials. People are exposed when they breathe in the fungal spores. A single common source has not been identified in the Tennessee outbreak.

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In most cases, people don't get sick, but there is the potential for histoplasmosis to cause respiratory symptoms, ranging from mild to life-threatening, per the CDC. 

Symptoms of histoplasmosis - which can include fever, cough, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches, chills and chest pain - typically emerge within three to 17 days after exposure to the fungus.

Because these symptoms are similar to the cold and flu, the condition is often missed or misdiagnosed.

Dr. Zaid Fadul, CEO of Bespoke Concierge MD in California, noted that most people aren't at a high risk. "Most of the time, we don't get sick because the amount of spores we breathe in is minimal (assuming we are not working outside all day)," he told Fox News Digital.

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Higher-risk groups include people with weakened immune systems or those with high exposure levels to the spores, according to the doctor. "If the immune system is compromised, histoplasmosis can run amok and cause a life-threatening illness," he warned.

While most people do not require treatment, there are antifungal medications for severe cases. Some of the Tennessee patients have been hospitalized and some are "critically ill," the state officials confirmed during the briefing.

Healthcare providers can confirm the infection by testing blood or urine samples in a lab. Other possible means of testing may include respiratory fluid, X-rays, CT scans or a tissue biopsy.

To prevent infection, health officials recommend limiting activities where soil is disturbed and to consider wearing masks during "high-risk" outdoor activities.

"It is very healthy to be outside, but if it is dusty or you will be outside for a prolonged time, you should be wearing some kind of mask to limit any spores you might breathe in," Fadul advised.

Before this outbreak, histoplasmosis was a "reportable disease" in only 14 states (Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Washington), according to the CDC.

The infection does not spread between humans and cannot be transmitted from humans to animals.

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Anyone who experiences symptoms and believes they have been exposed to the Histoplasma fungus should contact a doctor for testing, especially if antibiotics are not helping.

"With this outbreak, and the new CDC-approved antigen testing, any vague respiratory illness should lead to a quick diagnosis and treatment," Fadul said. "Histopplasmosis can be deadly to certain patients, but it doesn't have to be."