Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is an infectious but noncontagious disease caused by the fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum. Man, as well as a variety of wild and domestic animals, are susceptible to invasion by this agent. Once thought to be a rare and fatal disease, histoplasmosis is now known to be widespread throughout the United States and parts of Mexico, Central America, South America, and other parts of the world. During the past ten years a voluminous amount of data has been published concerning the epidemiology, clinical aspects, pathogenesis, pathology, laboratory diagnostic methods, and methods of treatment of histoplasmosis. Several reviews of current knowledge of this disease have been published recently and the reader is referred to these for more detailed information that can be given here.