Study Finds Blastomycosis Becoming More Common In Unexpected Areas Of The US

NBC News (1/24, Sullivan) reports, “A rare fungal infection thought to mainly occur in the northern Midwest and parts of the Southeast is more common in other parts of the United States than expected, new research published Wednesday finds.” The infection, “blastomycosis, can be difficult to diagnose, in part because it can resemble other respiratory infections.” Although “it’s well known in areas around the Great Lakes, the Ohio River valley and the Mississippi River valley, it’s a bit more surprising for the infection to pop up in Vermont, but that’s exactly what was found in the new study, published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.”