Just saw on the Internet that the FDA has issued a warning about Embrel, Remicade, Humira and Cimzia, a fairly new drug. These biologics can give you a fungus disease that is nondetectable in many cases. It can kill you. Symptoms are, persistent fever, cough, shortness of breath or fatigue. The disease is called histoplasmosis. Of 240 cases reported to the FDA, a total of 45 people died, about 20%. The disease can spread beyond the respiratory system to other organs. I think I will call my doctor because a couple of months ago I had a bout of something that involved a lot of yucky phlegm and coughing. Always something.
| I've posted about this before. Here is a Histoplasmosis Fact Sheet.
It is important to note: Histoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by inhaling spores of a fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum. Histoplasmosis is not contagious; it cannot be transmitted from an infected person or animal to someone else.
Below is a partial list of occupations and hobbies with risks for exposure to H. capsulatum spores. Appropriate exposure precautions should be taken by these people and others whenever contaminated soil, bat droppings, or bird manure are disturbed.
|
AND..............
Just a little more info.......
Histoplasma capsulatum is primarily found in the temperate regions of the world and is the most common fungus in the United States. It's endemic in the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi river valleys, where the great majority of people have been exposed.
The fungus thrives in damp soil that's rich in organic material, especially the droppings from birds and bats. For that reason, it's particularly common in chicken and pigeon coops, old barns, caves and parks.
Birds themselves aren't infected with histoplasmosis — their body temperature is too high — but they can carry H. capsulatum on their feathers, and their droppings support the growth of the fungus. Birds commonly kept as pets, such as canaries and parakeets, aren't affected. And although bats, which have a lower body temperature, can be infected, you can't get histoplasmosis from a bat or from another person.
Instead, you develop histoplasmosis when you inhale the reproductive cells (spores) of the fungus. The spores are extremely light and float into the air when dirt or other contaminated material is disturbed. That's why a high number of cases occur in farmers, landscapers, construction workers, spelunkers and people living near construction sites.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/histoplasmosis/DS00517/DSECTION=causes