Public Health Sudbury and Districts wants people to be aware of blastomycosis, a fungal lung infection, as they spend more time in the bush and working around soil. With fall upon us, the health authority said it wants residents to be aware of the risks. “With people going out to hunt, First Nations, etc., the general public, this sort of thing, they are going to be out in the bush. blastomycosis is found in natural environments – moist acidic soils,” said Burgess Hawkins, public health’s manager of environmental health. He added the fungal spores can also be found in rotting wood. “Whenever you set up blinds, etc., behind things like logs, you can run the risk of breathing it in,” said Hawkins. Health officials said blastomycosis is a noncontagious fungal infection that can be fatal. “There are two ways to catch it. One, you breathe it in, which is obviously more dangerous because it gets into your lungs but the other way is through small cuts, etc.,” said Hawkins. According to Public Health Ontario, the symptoms are persistent cough, low-grade fever, joint pain — very generic symptoms. “If you have this and they are not finding what is causing the problem, you need to mention that you were in a situation that may have got you in contact with blastomycosis,” said Hawkins. The health manager added that the incubation period for it can be long, ranging from three weeks to four months. Public Health Sudbury and Districts said there have been six cases of blastomycosis in its catchment area so far this year, adding that the region is prevalent for the infection along with the west end of Ontario and around the Great Lakes. Dogs are also susceptible to the fungal infection.
