What is Histoplasma capsulatum?
Histoplasma capsulatum is the most common cause of fungal respiratory infections (histoplasmosis) in the world. While most infections are mild, 10% of cases result in life-threatening complications such as inflammation of the pericardium and fibrosis of major blood vessels (Durkin, Kohler et al. 2001). In addition, some African H. capsulatum isolates cause a distinct disease, African histoplasmosis, that is characterized by cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions in the bone (Jones and Goodwin., 1981). Once infected, a latent infection may be reactivated. Histoplasma poses a particular threat to the elderly and to immunocompromised patients (Rachid, Rezende et al. 2003). Molecular characterization has shown that a number of fungi collectively known as H. capsulatum actually comprises seven phylogenetic species. There are two discrete phylogenetic species in Northern America: Histoplasma class I (NAm I) and Histoplasma class II (NAm II) (Kasuga, White et al. 2003). Sequence analysis shows th
