The Sudbury & District Health Unit service area is considered an endemic area for the fungus that causes blastomycosis.
Blastomycosis is a rare infection which is caused by breathing in the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. Activities which disturb damp soil or rotting wood, such as digging or raking, may release the fungus into the air. The fungus is found in moist acidic soil in parts of Northern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec as well as other areas around the Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley.
Although this is a rare infection, it is important to know how to reduce exposure to the fungus when working in moist soil areas, such as under the house, cottage, porch, or shed. Simple precautions include wearing work gloves, proper footwear, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and a disposable NIOSH N100 approved HEPA filter dust mask.
The symptoms of blastomycosis can be similar to those of influenza or pneumonia. “If you have a persistent cough, muscle aches, joint pain, tiredness, chills, low-grade fever, skin sores or unexplained weight loss, let your health care provider know that you may have been exposed to the fungus that causes blastomycosis,” said Rylan Yade, an environmental support officer at the Sudbury & District Health Unit. “They will want to know if you have been in a high-risk area and in contact with moist soil.” People typically become sick between 21 and 100 days after being exposed to the fungus. If the infection is left untreated, blastomycosis may be fatal.
For more information on blastomycosis, call the Sudbury & District Health Unit at 705.522.9200, ext. 398, toll-free 1.866.522.9200, or visit www.sdhu.com.