1 dead, almost 100 infected in fungus outbreak as investigation continues

A contractor who worked at a paper mill in Escanaba, Michigan, died due to blastomycosis, a fungal infection. And the death is part of a larger outbreak, public health officials are warning.

As of April 14, 2023, the contractor's case was one of 21 confirmed blastomycosis cases associated with the Billerud Paper Mill in Escanaba, according to a press release.

There are another 76 probable cases associated with the outbreak, the health officials said. And of those, 12 people have been hospitalized. All 97 confirmed and probable cases of blastomycosis have been in contractors, employees or visitors at the paper mill.

To date, the contractor is the only death associated with the outbreak.

“We were saddened to hear this news," Michael Snyder, health officer at Public Health Delta and Menominee Counties, said in the release. "Our heartfelt sympathies and prayers go out to the family, friends and co-workers who have lost their loved one.”

The mill closed temporarily on April 13 for additional cleaning, the health officials said.

“Everyone at Billerud is deeply saddened by this news,” Brian Peterson, Billerud Operations Vice President for the Escanaba mill, said in the release. “Anyone who works at our facility is part of our team, and we are keeping this individual, their family, coworkers and friends in our thoughts and close to our hearts.”

What is blastomycosis?

Blastomycosis is an infection caused by a type of fungus called blastomyces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain. Blastomyces is a mold that produces fungal spores and is typically found in damp outdoor areas, like moist soil and decomposing wood and leaves. People get infecting by breathing in the spores from the air. It does not spread from person to person or from animals to people.

Blastomycosis infections aren’t common, and large outbreaks are especially uncommon, the CDC explains. However, outbreaks can happen if many people are exposed to the same source of the fungus.

Not everyone needs to worry about blastomycosis because it only lives in certain areas of the world. In the U.S., that includes the Midwest, West, South and Southeast, and the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River.

But certain people — particularly those who spend a lot of time outdoors or who dig or otherwise disturb the soil as part of their job — are more likely to be exposed to the fungus, the CDC says. Even in these cases, it may not be entirely possible to completely avoid the fungus if it’s common in the environment around you.

Blastomycosis symptoms

Only about half of people with blastomycosis develop symptoms, the CDC says. And the infection typically causes symptoms similar to those of other lung infections. Those symptoms may include cough, fever, chest pain, night sweats, joint pain, muscle aches, fatigue and skin bumps, blisters or ulcers.

The symptoms of blastomycosis can appear anywhere between three weeks and three months after someone inhales the fungal spores, the CDC says. In severe cases, blastomycosis can spread from the lungs to the central nervous system.

Blastomycosis treatment

In most cases, people who have a blastomycosis infection will need treatment with antifungal medication. For mild to moderate cases, doctors will typically prescribe the antifungal medication itraconazole, the CDC says. But for more severe cases, people may need to be treated with amphotericin B, which is administered intravenously.

Treatment for blastomycosis can take between six months and a full year depending on how severe the infection is, the CDC says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com