How is histoplasmosis transmitted?
Histoplasmosis is not transmitted person to person except for a few rare instances when a transplant patient has contracted histoplasmosis from a transplanted organ. The large majority of cases occur when people inhale fungal mycelia and spores, usually from a source where the fungus growth is enhanced. Such sources or areas are in caves containing bat or bird droppings, chicken coops, birdhouses, bird roosts, or soil contaminated with such droppings. Unfortunately, H. capsulatum can survive in soil for years, and if the soil becomes airborne (dust), inhalation of H. capsulatum-contaminated dust may lead to histoplasmosis. How is histoplasmosis diagnosed? Definitive diagnosis of histoplasmosis can be complicated, especially if the patient gives no history of exposure to areas contaminated with H. capsulatum. Many bacterial and fungal infections can produce clinical findings that are found with H. capsulatum infections (for example, granulomatous nodules found in sarcoidosis and tubercu
