Histoplasmosis Infection Risks for Workers & Vulnerable Populations

ScienceNews published an article last year about the spread of three types of fungi that can cause serious lung diseases. One of these was Histoplasma which causes histoplasmosis, an infection once mainly found in the Midwest, but in more recent times infections have been recorded in at least 47 states.

Histoplasma capsulatum lives in the environment, particularly in soil or other materials that contain large amounts of bird droppings or bat guano. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Histoplasma spores circulate in the air after contaminated soil or materials are disturbed. When people breathe in the spores, they are at risk of developing histoplasmosis. After the spores enter the lungs, a person’s body temperature allows the spores to transform into yeast. The yeast can then travel to lymph nodes and can spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream.

Fortunately, most people exposed to Histoplasma never have symptoms and others may have symptoms that go away on their own. According to the CDC, symptoms may appear between 3 and 17 days after exposure and may include fever, cough, fatigue, chills, headache, chest pain and body aches. The very young, older adults and people with a weakened immune system are at higher risk for developing severe forms of the infection.

“An attic, roof top or any place where there are significant amounts of bird droppings or bat guano could put people at risk, especially workers that spend time in those locations conducting dust-generating activities,” said Derrick A. Denis, Disaster Ready Emergency Preparedness and Infection Control (DR EPIC) Program Industrial Hygienist and Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) brought renewed attention to work-related histoplasmosis several years ago. The agency reported people working in construction had a higher risk of getting the infection. Other occupations at elevated risk include those involved with demolition and renovation work, farmers, landscapers, and bridge workers to name a few.”

To help prevent new cases of histoplasmosis and protect workers and building occupants, CSC’s infection control and industrial hygiene professionals offer building and workplace assessments, testing, monitoring, consulting and training services. Their experts identify and mitigate exposure risks to Histoplasma capsulatum and many other microbial pathogens. CSC has even sponsored an educational video about histoplasmosis and Histoplasma exposure risks that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/ay-uv9Bt1DE

To learn more about this or other infection control, industrial hygiene, environmental, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

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