Histoplasmosis Associated With Bat Guano Exposure in Cannabis Growers: 2 Cases

Paulina Sudnik; Patrick Passarelli; Angela Branche; Ellen Giampoli; Ted Louie

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofae711

Histoplasmosis Associated With Bat Guano Exposure in Cannabis Growers: 2 Cases

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2024 Dec 5;11(12):ofae711. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofae711. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Authors

Paulina Sudnik¹, Patrick Passarelli¹, Angela Branche², Ellen Giampoli³, Ted Louie²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.
² Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease at the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.
³ Associate Professor Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Otolaryngology at the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.

Abstract

Histoplasma capsulatum is a pathogenic dimorphic fungus with evolving epidemiology. Initially described as endemic to the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys, the infection now regularly occurs in central and eastern United States, with cases reported across the entire country. Transmission happens via inhalation of conidia during activities that disturb fungal hyphae. Sporadic cases related to individual exposures now outnumber work-related outbreak cases in the United States. We describe 2 fatal cases of histoplasmosis in Rochester, New York, associated with exposure to bat guano as a fertilizer for cannabis cultivation, including 1 case in which it was commercially obtained.

Keywords: bat guano; cannabis; cultivation; fertilizer; histoplasma capsulatum.

Publication types

Case Reports