Symptoms of Blastomycosis

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Blastomycosis 

Blastomycosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Blastomyces. The fungus lives in the environment, particularly in moist soil and in decomposing matter such as wood and leaves. Blastomyces mainly lives in areas of the United States and Canada surrounding the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and the Great Lakes. People can get blastomycosis after breathing in the microscopic fungal spores from the air. Although most people who breathe in the spores don’t get sick, some of those who do may have flu-like symptoms, and the infection can sometimes become serious if it is not treated.

Symptoms of Blastomycosis

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Fever is a common symptom of blastomycosisApproximately half of people who are infected with the fungus Blastomyces will show symptoms.1 The symptoms of blastomycosis are often similar to the symptoms of flu or other lung infections, and can include:2,3

• Fever
• Cough
• Night sweats
• Muscle aches or joint pain
• Weight loss
• Chest pain
• Fatigue (extreme tiredness)

How soon do the symptoms of blastomycosis appear?

Symptoms of blastomycosis usually appear between 3 weeks and 3 months after a person breathes in the fungal spores.4

Severe blastomycosis

In some people, particularly those who have weakened immune systems, blastomycosis can spread from the lungs to other parts of the body, such as the skin, bones and joints, and the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord)