Histoplasmosis
The infection: Histoplasmosis, caused by inhaling the fungus histoplasma. This usually happens when disturbing dirt contaminated with it.
Symptoms and treatment: It can cause fever, cough, fatigue, chills, and aches. In more serious cases, it can cause chronic lung infection or spread elsewhere throughout the body.
Threat potential: Most people who come into contact with histoplasma don’t develop illness, while others will only experience mild symptoms. But it can be dangerous to people with weakened immune systems. And it may be more common than thought. A study last year found that infections have been occurring all throughout the U.S. in recent years, suggesting that the fungus is living in the soils of nearly every state.
