Histoplasmosis !!! Please read !!! Important for all !!

[Chicken Woman]

I don't know if this has been talked about before but I wanted to warn you ! I was sick 4 weeks ago with severe like symptoms and trouble swallowing food. Then last Sunday I had 103 fever and flu systems again ! (I have had a flu shot) One of our BYC members answered a post from me asking if I could get sick from chickens. Told me to look up Histoplasmosis. I did and then called my doc. She did blood test and that is indeed what I have.
There is a fungus in every chicken area especially in the litter ! If you don't wear a mask anytimeyou stir up shavings or clean up poop you can inhale these fungus spores into your lungs !!!!!

This can make you very sick and if your immune system is week it can cause major damage to organs like lungs and liver etc.

I am lucky that my immune system has been able to fight it off by itself with out any sign in my chest xray.

PLEASE BE VERY CARFULL WHEN IN THE COOP ! WHEN YOU CLEAN IT OPEN ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS !

WEAR A MASK !!!!!!!

Stay healthy and protect yourself. It is most common in Central and eastern united states according to the CDC.
Google Histioplasmosis and there is alot of info.

 

[Ferngully]

Thank You for the reminder on Histoplasmosis, I believe it is a serious medical concern that is often forgotten about. Endemic initially to what is considered "the Ohio River Valley". We had the fortune to live on an old farm in Ohio for a few years when I was younger, no livestock, one lonely cat, and every farm building you could think of coop, barn, corn crib, tractor shed, woodworking shed, older farm house. They had not been used for farming for 20 years. Somewhere along the line in cleaning the place up and gardening, not sure what the source was, my young mother contracted histoplasmosis (I understand it can live in the soil for many years). It initially appeared as being a case of pneumonia and was treated as such when she went to the E.R. gasping for air, and high temp. After several weeks of not resolving, a doctor, who was not from the area, diagnosed her. In the end she developed lesions on her lung, and it had damaged her eyes. Yes, for many years and possibly now I believe (haven't read the lastest medical journals on it) the medical community believed that if you contracted it then you would only get it in either of those 2 places and rarely both. The outcome, lesions on her lung that had to be monitored 2x year minimum for the rest of her life to measure the size of the lesions to watch for increase in size. Her vision was seriously damaged in both eyes, (the eye doctors loved to examine her because they rarely get to see such a think first hand). We used to lovingly say, blind in one eye and can't see out of the other. Laser surgery was attempted in order to help correct the damage, the result of that was devastating, she lost all but a small pinpoint vision in the one of her better eyes at the time. She continued to loose vision in her other eye through the years. We lost my mother, my best friend, and farming mentor 5 years ago to cancer. She had gone for her routine check up including the chest x-rays and all was the same, no changes in x-ray or blood work. 30 days later she lay dying in a hospital bed. We never got to find out the primary site of the cancer, the doctors were focusing on trying to treat the aggressive cancer that had spread to her heart. The were unsuccessful, and she died 6 weeks after her diagnosis. My siblings and I feel that, in a remote way because of the changes in cell structure that her histoplasmosis played a part in her death. She was in her early 50's and as active and healthy as ever and teaching my children the art of gardening and loving the outdoors and planning for her day to get to have chickens on their 10 acres. I apologize for this being so long, but I wanted to share how something so small, and seemingly unimportant can change a persons life for the rest of their life. All the poking, prodding, testing she had done on a regular basis to monitor her histoplasmosis was not always enjoyable and loosing her vision had an impact on her life as well. My hope is that like the OP, others will give thought to this when they care for their birds, a simple small micron mask can go a long way in helping to prevent contraction. I would hate to hear that one of the new found BYC buddies had contracted this. To the OP I am so glad that you are slowly getting better, and the other posters who have known someone who contracted it my hearts are out to them. Though I will not live in fear of it, I do believe I will wear a mask when cleaning the coop, though it is not known to be in our area, to err on the side of caution is always better. Thanks for letting me ramble. Ferngully

 

[junebug7334]

I have always worn a mask, and as a nurse have had them at my disposal.....but you did a great thing by posting this. Many thanks!

 

[illinichick]

When my DD22 was 6 yrs old, she began running a low grade fever and had headaches daily. After going back and forth with dr's appts and him just basically giving up on finding the cause, I demanded that she be referred to St. Louis Children's Hosp. All it took was a chest xray and TB test to determine that she had Histo. The MD's there stated that during WWII, most men going into the service from the Mid West showed spots on their lungs during their service physical and that the medical community was afraid there was a TB outbreak. After research, they discovered that it was Histo and most people in the Midwest have or have had some form of it. My DD always loved playing in the leaves in the fall and they said that's where she probably got it. There is treatment for it but it is the same treatment they give people who have had a liver transplant , rejection drugs. These drugs have alot of side effects themselves so the person has to be very ill with Histo to make the drugs worth it. My DD went back to Barnes every 3 months for a chest xray and after 1 year, her lungs eventually calcified around the fungus. No last effects but I think those spots will always show up on her xrays.

 

[andreanar]

Did she wear a mask? Is wearing a mask the ONLY preventative action? What else should I do?

She didn't wear a mask, this was many years ago. The Doctors said the histo could be on your hands and you could transfer it that way too. Wearing a mask and washing your hands....so important.

 

[CK Chickadilly]

WoW! Thanks for the warning! That sounds really nasty! I hope you are getting better really fast!

Were the flu like systoms the aches & pains or vomiting & the runs?

 

[Chicken Woman]

I woke up in the middle of the night shivering. Had 103.2 fever, terrible headache,ache all over,weak, tired and developed a terrible non produactive cough. I am feeling better. Still a little worn out and some cough. Otherwise IM OK. This stuff can be really bad for someone who has a compromised ammune system (as in cancer,on chemo,aids etc.)

WEAR YOUR MASK !!!!!!

 

[ivan3]

Thank you for posting. Glad you're better (not the most pleasant stress test of one's immune system I'm sure). Just wanted to mention that `compromised' immune response is common in heavy smokers, just a heads up - wear those 3M millipore face masks - cheap insurance.

Just a link to specifics for those that don't want to search:

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/fungal/746.html

 

[Riocotesei]

Did you have severe stomach cramping and general body soreness?

 

[Chicken Woman]

I didn't have any stomach issues except I have no appetite. That's the one good thing !!!!!