Coccidioidomycosis; chronic pulmonary

Definition:

A disease caused by breathing in a fungus found in the soil in certain parts of the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and Central and South America that can cause a lung (chronic pulmonary) condition.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The infection is caused by breathing in the spores of a fungus in desert regions. The disease can have an acute, chronic, or disseminated form. The chronic form usually develops after a latent period of 20 years or more after initial infection which is usually benign and may go undiagnosed. Lung abscesses may form and may rupture into the pleural spaces causing empyema (pus in the pleural space). About 60% of infections cause no symptoms and are only recognized by a positive coccidioidin skin test. In the remaining 40% symptoms range from mild to severe. Dark skinned people and people with a weak immune system are more susceptible to infection. The incidence of chronic disease is 1 out of 100,000 people.