Low defense and contact with spores of certain fungi, of which Histoplasma capsulatum It can worsen the lung system and be life-threatening.
Currently, there is a histoplasma skin test to diagnose or verify whether a person has been exposed to the fungus, called histoplasma reaction, performed in some laboratories.
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Patients affected by inhalation of fungal spores have been reported more frequently in the central and western regions of the country; most are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected, transplanted, or defense-compromised.
H. capsulatus is found in the environment, primarily in the ground, in caves, in crypts, and in the droppings of bats, game birds, and pigeons.
It is estimated that four out of five people inhale enough spores to cause some damage to the body, blood, bone marrow, brain, heart and skin. The first response was reported to be lung type.
Explorer mother inhales fungal spores
In Jalisco state, mothers of the Unity Hearts Search for Our Treasure group developed symptoms and health conditions after traveling to a site in Puerto Vallarta to search for missing relatives, inhaling spores of the fungus, Today they are infected with spores of this fungus. lung injury..
For infection specialists, seeking mothers can be defenseless when going through difficult situations: stress, pain, low diet and exposure to unhealthy environments can lower defenses and become infected.
“When the immune system is compromised, it’s only fatal when your defenses are too low,” warned Pedro Martinez, an epidemiologist at the Old Civil Hospital in Guadalajara.
He added: “You inhale the fungus and generally the first reaction is a lung infection, you could say it’s a simple flu; if you have normal defenses it stops, or you don’t even realize it; If you breathe high, you can get respiratory failure, if you’re hypoxic and need oxygen, you can get pneumonia, and if your defenses are low, you can get pneumonia and spread throughout the body.
Experts mentioned that when fungus inhalation is suspected and symptoms last for more than three weeks, an in-depth diagnosis should be made to stop symptoms and avoid chronic damage that is “difficult to treat”.
“It penetrates the lungs, and from there it enters and hides in other organs, such as the space where the mediastinum is, the space where the heart and lungs are, and the gut.”
“José Barba Rubio” Jorge Mayorga, specialist at the Jalisco Institute of Dermatology, explains that the symptoms at the beginning of the inhalation can be similar to those of pneumonia, influenza and Covid-19, “as the disease progresses, expectoration may occur , the case of fever, if there is a fungal infection, it is not defined in the alveoli or in the lungs, it can reach various organs, including the brain”.
In the case of affected mother seekers, he commented that if they inhale fungi and other types of bacteria where they dig, it is likely to affect their health.
“Dusting, digging, we’re exposed to a lot of bugs that can have fungi in them, and if we need to go to those places to make sure the disease is picking up from there, it’s very important to go to those places and take measures.” Sample; Soil, Dirt and plants to isolate the fungus”, he commented.
To link possible lung disease from inhaled fungus, “molecular or genetic testing should be done on the bacteria isolated from the patient to see where the infection came from, if the mother brought the problem, and with the mother What about infection?” emphasizes its activation, and it should be closely related to epidemiological, molecular and clinical studies”.
In addition to performing the histoplasma test on the skin to verify whether a person has been exposed to the fungus, testing is also available upon request in laboratories and at the Jalisco State Secretariat of Health (SSJ).
The type of treatment will depend on the severity; in severe cases, the drug amphotericin B is given intravenously for two weeks for infections caused by the fungus, and if more than two organs are affected, the drug is given orally for a year, experts say.
In the Metropolitan Region of Guadalajara (ZMG), the fungus is commonly found in places where bats dominate, including Barranca de Huentitán, caves and ecotourism areas.
Due to the presence of multiple fungi in Jalisco, it is recommended to seek out the mother to try to limit exposure to H. capsulatus fungus, to use an N95 respirator, and to seek medical evaluation if symptoms develop from exposure.
Hepatitis A Outbreak in School
Hepatitis A is a viral disease that spreads continuously, with no specific time, and from person to person, 365 days a year. However, it is recognized that outbreaks are recorded on school premises every time they return to school.
Direct transmission among students is possible due to frequent contact with sick people.
“After the summer, when kids go back to school in August-September to start the new school year, we’re going to see some outbreaks in these groups,” the director of health evidence and intelligence for the Jalisco State Health Secretariat warned. SSJ), Roberto Carlos Rivera.
The hot spring has seen more cases in winter; 195 cases of hepatitis A have been reported in the state so far this year, he said.
We advise you → 155 cumulative cases of hepatitis A in Jalisco in three months
Measures to avoid infection are nutritious diet, consumption in healthy places with proper food management, and avoiding contact with people who have symptoms such as fever, malaise, and yellow complexion.
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It is important to avoid self-medication because the liver may be chronically damaged: “If we self-medicate, basically 98% of the drug is metabolized in the liver, then we put a greater burden on the liver and we may cause liver damage. Functional failure, in a serious condition, led to his hospitalization and intensive care.” People with hepatitis A, if they are well diagnosed and follow the directions, will see their health improve within ten, a few days or three weeks, depending on their health status.
That is why the entity’s health authorities have not registered any cases since the start of the school year and measures are being taken.