Microepidemia de histoplasmose em Blumenau, Santa Catarina An outbreak of histoplasmosis in the city of Blumenau, Santa Catarina

Abstract

A histoplasmose pulmonar aguda é pouco diagnosticada e muitas vezes confundida com tuberculose. A maior parte do conhecimento sobre a doença veio de relatos de epidemias resultantes da exposição de certo número de indivíduos a uma mesma fonte de infecção. O isolamento do H. capsulatum var. capsulatum a partir de amostras de solo comprova o foco epidêmico. Pela primeira vez é descrita uma microepidemia, com o relato de dois casos e o isolamento do fungo do foco de infecção, em Santa Catarina. Recomendam-se novos estudos epidemiológicos para se determinar a prevalência da infecção nesse estado.Acute pulmonary histoplasmosis is rarely diagnosed and is often confused with tuberculosis. Most knowledge of the disease has been derived from descriptions of epidemics in which a number of individuals were exposed to the same source of infection. Isolation of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum from soil samples is conclusive evidence of an epidemic focus. This is the first report of an outbreak of histoplasmosis, in which two cases were reported and the fungus was isolated at the focus of the epidemic, in the state of Santa Catarina. Further epidemiological studies are needed in order to determine the prevalence of the infection statewide.

Keywords

• Histoplasmose
• Histoplasmose
• Histoplasma
• Pneumopatias fúngicas
• Surtos de doenças
• Relatos de casos
• Histoplasmosis
• Histoplasmosis
• Histoplasma
• Lung disases, fungal
• Disease outbreaks
• Case reports