Potentially Deadly Fungus Is Spreading in Tennessee, Health Officials Warn

A potentially deadly fungus is making the rounds in Tennessee, and it's got health officials nervous.

Over 35 cases of histoplasmosis have popped up in just three months across Maury and Williamson Counties. That's a lung infection you get from breathing in spores from a fungus with the kind of name you'd expect from a Harry Potter villain: Histoplasma capsulatum.

The Tennessee Department of Health dropped the numbers on January 12, and here's where it gets scarier. One family claims a woman died after contracting the infection, with a positive test coming back two days after her death. State epidemiologists pumped the brakes during a briefing, clarifying that while they're investigating, they haven't officially confirmed the infection killed anyone. Yet.

The average age of those infected is 50, which probably won't make anyone in that demographic feel better.

What's the Deal With This Fungus?

Histoplasmosis comes from soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings. You get exposed when you breathe in fungal spores floating around in the air, and officials haven't figured out where exactly people are picking this up in Tennessee, which makes the whole thing that much more mysterious.

The somewhat reassuring part? Most people who encounter this fungus don't get sick. Their immune systems just deal with it and move on.

But when it does hit, it can range from "mildly annoying" to "potentially lethal." Symptoms show up anywhere from three to 17 days after exposure: fever, cough, extreme fatigue, headache, body aches, chills, chest pain. You know, just your typical flu-like symptoms, which makes it hard to differentiate.

The Problem? It Looks Like Everything Else

Since symptoms sound exactly like a cold or flu, this means histoplasmosis gets missed or misdiagnosed all the time. By the time doctors realize what's actually happening, patients might already be in bad shape.

Dr. Zaid Fadul, CEO of Bespoke Concierge MD in California, says most people don't need to panic. "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)."

But—and there's always a but—people with weakened immune systems or high exposure to the spores are in a different boat. "If the immune system is compromised, histoplasmosis can run amok and cause a life-threatening illness," Fadul warned.

Getting Diagnosed Isn't Automatic

Most people don't need treatment, but severe cases can get antifungal medications. The trick is actually figuring out you have histoplasmosis in the first place.

Doctors can confirm it through blood or urine tests, respiratory fluid samples, X-rays, CT scans, or tissue biopsies. But they have to think to test for it, which doesn't always happen when your symptoms look like every other respiratory bug making the rounds.

Fadul pointed out that with CDC-approved antigen testing now available, "any vague respiratory illness should lead to a quick diagnosis and treatment." The tools exist—doctors just need to use them.

"Histoplasmosis can be deadly to certain patients, but it doesn't have to be," he said.

How Not to Get It

Health officials recommend avoiding activities that disturb soil and wearing masks during "high-risk" outdoor activities—basically anything dusty or involving prolonged time outside.

"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 said.

At least it doesn't spread between people or from humans to animals. Small mercies.

The Takeaway

Before this outbreak, histoplasmosis was only a "reportable disease" in 14 states—and Tennessee wasn't one of them. That should tell you how unexpected this whole situation is.

If you're dealing with respiratory symptoms that won't quit, especially if antibiotics aren't touching it, ask your doctor about histoplasmosis. Because antibiotics don't do squat against fungal infections, and if your doctor keeps throwing them at you with zero improvement, something else is going on.

Sometimes a cough is just a cough. But in Tennessee right now? It might be worth a second look.

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