| Definition | | | | affects people with compromised immune systems, |
| Blastomycosis refers to the disease caused by the | | | | such as people with HIV or organ transplant recipients. |
| endemic dimorphic fungi Blastomyces dermatitidis. The | | | | Men are more likely to be affected than women. Lung |
| infection is acquired via inhalation of the conidia, which | | | | infection may produce no symptoms, but when the |
| transform into the yeast form once in the lungs. | | | | infection is widespread, skin lesions or bone lesions |
| However, at least 50% of primary infections are | | | | may appear and the urogenital system (bladder, kidney, |
| asymptomatic. Most cases become manifest during a | | | | prostate, testes) may be affected. |
| chronic and indolent phase that may affect the lungs, | | | | The incidence of blastomycosis is 1-2 out of every |
| the skin, the bones, the genitourinary tract and other | | | | 100,000 people in geographic areas where |
| reticuloendothelial organs. The disease is endemic in | | | | blastomycosis occurs most frequently. It is even less |
| the southeastern and south central states of North | | | | common outside those areas. |
| America, along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. | | | | Symptoms |
| Blastomycosis is a common infection among dogs in | | | | In humans, blastomycosis is also known as Gilchrist's |
| endemic areas. Blastomycosis is reported in other | | | | disease, Gilchrists mycosis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, |
| animals, including the horse, cow, cat, bat, and lion. | | | | and Chicago disease. |
| Causes | | | | Symptoms in Humans coughingskin lesions, or small |
| Blastomycosis occurs most often in people living in the | | | | draining ulcer(s) on the skin, like a small abscess - |
| south-central and midwestern US and Canada. | | | | draining bloody or purulent (pus) material - found most |
| Exposure to soil is the key risk factor. It is usually | | | | common on the face, neck, and the extremities. |