Last December, after returning from a vacation in Costa Rica, a US family developed symptoms of a fungal lung infection. The case is reported in a paper recently published in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Twelve of the thirteen family members became ill to varying degrees, with fever, muscle pain, respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal issues. When they sought medical attention, the doctors tested them for fungal infections, and two returned positive for histoplasmosis, a pulmonary infection caused by inhaling the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. This fungus lives in soil, frequently alongside bird or bat droppings, and can become airborne if the earth is disturbed. During their holiday in Costa Rica, the family had toured the Venado Caves, an ancient cave system full of bats and their droppings, contracting the infection there. According to the CDC, the caves had already caused a histoplasmosis outbreak in the 1990s. All family members recovered after a few weeks.
Histoplasmosis is sometimes difficult to diagnose. Therefore, the authors of the paper suggest to medical professionals to consider the possibility of fungal infection in patients with respiratory symptoms after visiting caves or other places infested by fungi. Meanwhile, the CDC is working with the US Embassy in Costa Rica and the Costa Rica Ministry of Health to warn about the risk of histoplasmosis in the Venado Caves.
