Mention microbial infections and most people think of hospitals, not summer camp. But being outdoors in the sunshineand fresh air is not without risk. In June 2012, a camp counselor in Omaha, Nebraska, was diagnosed with histoplasmosis,a fungal infection with symptoms similar to pneumonia: fever, headache, and respiratory distress. Although most peoplesuffering from histoplasmosis will recover without medical treatment, the very young, very old, and people with chroniclung conditions are at greater risk for developing severe disease, which may on rare occasions prove fatal. In areas of theeastern and central United States, where Histoplasma capsulatum is endemic, dirt contaminated with bird and bat guanooften contains spores of the fungus. Disturbing such contaminated dirt is a known risk factor for developing the disease.Because the sick camp counselor was one of 32 that worked at the camp, and the camp served 797 children, the DouglasCounty Department of Health (DCDH) and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) began aninvestigation to determine the extent and source of the outbreak, so as to prevent further infections. Initial testingrevealed 17 counselors (53%) whose blood serum or urine contained antigens from Histoplasma capsulatum, these weredeemed confirmed cases of the disease. Of 153 responses to a questionnaire sent to camp attendees, 17 campers (11%)had confirmed or suspected histoplasmosis (suspected cases were those in which illness was present but laboratoryresults were inconclusive or unavailable).Prior to the beginning of camp, the counselors participated in a camp cleanup, where the 12 campsites were prepared forthe summer. Preparations included raking leaves, cleaning picnic tables, digging fire pits, and moving firewood.Counselors reported that they found bird and bat guano on picnic tables and the dirt floor of camp shelters at two of thecampsites. Campers arrived a week later and took part in nature walks, outdoor games, wilderness training, and arts andcrafts, but did not engage in high-risk activities like those performed by the counselors earlier in the summer. Analysis ofdata collected by the DCDH and NDHHS determined that campers assigned to campsites where guano was seen weremore than twice as likely to become ill than those campers assigned to campsites greater than 20 yards away. In fact, thedata showed that the farther away a camper was from a site where guano was found, the less likely they were to becomeill. Based on this report, the camp was relocated to a different park, and the city's parks and recreation division was givenrecommendations to prevent bat roosting, recognize potentially contaminated areas, and properly deal with such sites. Label the legend of this figure to demonstrate your understanding of the distribution of the four true fungal pathogens.UnitedStatesSouthAmericaAfricaBlastomycesHistoplasmaParacoccidioidesCoccidioides

Question

Accepted Answer

Fungal pathogens are often found throughout the world. They can cause diseases that can be fatal to…

Label the legend of this figure to demonstrate your understanding of the distribution of the four true fungal pathogens. United States South America Africa Blastomyces Histoplasma Paracoccidioides Coccidioides