Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection caused by inhaling dust from
spore-infected bird droppings. In the disseminated form, infection
spreads throughout the body from the lungs. The death rate is
fairly high for people with untreated widespread (disseminated)
histoplasmosis, but is reduced significantly with treatment.
Review Date: 09/23/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Instructor in Medicine,
Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of
Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed
by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
