What’s going on in Escanaba?
The number of infections with the rare chrysanthemum fungus has reached at least 109 people in Michigan, after 5 more cases were detected last week. Thirteen patients were taken to hospital, and it was unclear if any of them were in critical condition, while one person died. The outbreak has been linked to the Bellerod paper mill in Escanaba. Chlamydia is a rare fungal disease that occurs when you inhale a fungus that typically lives in soil, wood, and leaves. Health officials fear more cases will be discovered in the coming weeks, as it could take months for patients to show symptoms. Local health authorities said all of the patients were employees, contractors or visitors to the plant, which closed in mid-April after authorities failed to find the source of the epidemic.
What is the source of the fungus?
The mill was routinely reporting several cases each week in April, but investigators have yet to determine the source of the outbreak, but it’s likely that lumber that recently arrived at the paper mill was the cause.
The factory’s ventilation system is currently undergoing a thorough cleaning, amid fears the infection could spread more widely.
Blastomycosis was first diagnosed at the Bellerod plant in late February, but it took over a month for the order to close.
Initially, the factory required employees to wear face masks to avoid infection. Management first learned of the outbreak in early March, when a worker tested positive for the fungus.
It’s unclear how the outbreak started, but the fungus is known to live in rotting wood and damp leaf litter.
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Blastomycosis begins in the lungs, causing symptoms such as cough, fever, and chest pain, but in severe cases it can then spread to other areas such as the skin, bones, brain, and spinal cord. Medications are available to treat the infection, including antifungals, but those taking these medications may need to continue using them for up to a year to clear the infection. People catch the fungus by breathing it in. Infected patients cannot transmit the fungus to other humans. Chlamydial onychomycosis is rare in the United States, with only one or two cases reported per 100,000 people nationwide each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease has a mortality rate of about 1 in 100 patients.
The outbreak of the fungal disease is believed to be the largest in US history to date, as the previous largest outbreak occurred in Wisconsin in 2010 and resulted in 55 injuries, 30 hospitalizations and two deaths.
On average, the fungus causes about 6,700 infections and 60 deaths each year in the United States, and outbreaks typically involve fewer than 10 people.
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