Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ is a fungal infection caused by ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฆ. This very tiny fungus is found worldwide, however it is most common in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Any species can get this!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Histoplasma is found primarily in bird and bat manure. When the manure is deposited onto soil, the fungus begins to produce ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐, a long, spindle-like form that can extend deep into the soil. Under the right conductions, the mycelia can form ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ, which are the infective form of the fungus. Most of the time, animals acquire the fungus by inhaling it, however it can also be acquired through ingesting the yeast.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
The yeasts quickly enter the bloodstream, and spread throughout the body. They can set up shop in any organ, producing ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ inflammation โ inflammation with a lot of ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฌ, the bodyโs main clean-up cell. This inflammation can severely damage the organ tissues, causing organ failure. In particular, Histoplasma likes to live in the eyes, lungs, liver, skin and lymph nodes.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Diagnosis usually involves ๐๐ฒ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ, where a sample of cells are taken from a tissue and examined under the microscope. For Histoplasma, often an enlarged lymph node is sampled. Under the microscope, the yeasts are small and round, with a thin wall around them.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
Antifungal medications like ๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ณ๐จ๐ฅ๐ are the most effective treatment against Histoplasma. Often these treatments must be given for long periods of time.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-3) Histoplasma under the microscope! Theyโre kind of cute ๐
4-5) Lungs showing serious granulomatous inflammation.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐
Taboada J. Histoplasmosis. Merck Veterinary Manual 2020.
Photos 1-2 ยฉ Cells and Smears Veterinary Clinical Pathology Digital Database.
Photos 3-5 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributor Morris, King, Camus licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
