# Blastomycosis



## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)

These are extremely small fungal spores (1-2 microns in size). You cannot see it. You cannot say "hey...I'm standing in a blasto patch". Also keep in mind that an average mushroom produces over 1 million spores.
So you are walking or somehow stirring up a huge quantities of this toxin. The body does try to fight these off but the immune system is overloaded. Many spores get through and enter your or your dogs lungs...they like the warm and grow quickly into yeast cells (5-6 microns in size). The yeast cells have a hard coating which makes them extremely difficult for immune system to kill or eliminate. At this point its game over and blasto enters the blood stream only to be filtered out of the body at lymph nodes in both dogs and humans. The argument of having a weakened immune system to get this is false. I was very healthy. The biggest outbreak occurred vilas county WI where a group of 53 young people (median age 23) went tubing on a river stopping at island sandbars on breaks. 51 of 53 confirmed cases of blasto and other 2 possible.
So young and healthy dogs and people can get this with no problem. I felt this issue exactly twice: tingling in my sinus...followed by light headed and dizziness almost like I was going to pass out. Once while grading sandy soil on my tractor with no mask. The other was riding my polaris ranger in the spring on a swampy trail on my property.


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## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)

Topsoil removal without wearing a mask PPE would be a very effective way to get blasto.
I see local construction crews working in dusty sandy soil. They are really rolling the dice without a mask. This fungal thrives on rotting wood and tree plant leaf decomposing biomass. 
I cut firewood about everyday and this may have been 3rd way blasto entered my lungs.


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## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)




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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

dauber said:


> Nasty nasty stuff! I have numerous friends who have lost dogs to blasto. Cooks area has had a number of canine cases as well as Drummond Island and Cedarville. As a soil scientist who almost daily dug and handled soil we were warned continually of the danger of blasto. I feel really sorry for you Doug-thumb. Hope your recovery continues.


Is there any pattern of distribution by soil type for Blasto. sp. that you are aware of? Cedarville area surprised me because of the pH impacts of dolomite limestone in the soils over there. I always have this mental image of fungi associated with high organic content soils since they function as saprophytic decomposers.

Doug-thumb, a weakened immune system manifests in a variety of ways, many of which do not involve overall "health appearance." People who have allergies, asthma, etc. have weakened immune systems of varying degrees and severities.


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## dauber (Jan 11, 2010)

Cork Dust said:


> Is there any pattern of distribution by soil type for Blasto. sp. that you are aware of? Cedarville area surprised me because of the pH impacts of dolomite limestone in the soils over there. I always have this mental image of fungi associated with high organic content soils since they function as saprophytic decomposers.
> 
> Doug-thumb, a weakened immune system manifests in a variety of ways, many of which do not involve overall "health appearance." People who have allergies, asthma, etc. have weakened immune systems of varying degrees and severities.



There are a lot of organic component in the topsoils in Cedarville area. I think what makes it bad is there is a dense glacial till about 20-30” down in many areas. This layer impedes water from infiltrating thru it. Therefore in the spring and wet periods it is wetter than the landscape looks setting up a good soil environment to make organic matter. Then during most summers these soils dry out quickly with the shallow root zone and get powdery. 

Otherwise it seems to be where there are more organic soils or along waterways. In Wisconsin the Phestigo River and Wolf River are noted for hotspots, especially in low water years with more organic bank materials exposed.


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## setterpoint (Feb 20, 2015)

im from tennessee they have had blasto. for some time one of my frinds had a pointer that got it the vet saved her live but thr dog died about two years after anyway she was 9 years old the vet said its from drinking from mud holes and iv heard cases where humans have caught it so not sure of the mud hole thing


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## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)




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## setterpoint (Feb 20, 2015)

are there any shot or meds you can give to dogs to prevent blasto


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## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)

Unfortunately NO. I have asked a few vets this same question. I worry about my best friend Molly.


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## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)




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## dscoggins (May 15, 2019)

doug-thumb of mich said:


> Symptoms appeared 2-2017.
> Still fighting this 5-2018.
> On correct meds (intraconazole) since 8-2017. My lesions have healed but spots on my lungs continue to be a concern. Lung surgury biopsy last week and are currently running about 15 lab tests fmi.


I also battled Blasto in 2015. I had it in my lungs. Do you know where you got it from?


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## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)

Interesting you are closeby in saginaw. I am in the thumb, eastern Michigan 48401.
I am pretty sure I got it from running a 7 foot yard rake behind my tractor stirring up sandy soil dust. Operating John Deere tractor without a dust mask. I felt light headed.
Also I cut firewood on a daily basis with some trees being stockpiled and possibly moldy.
The third thing was I drove a Polaris Ranger side by side into a swampy trail and felt light headed. So, one of these 3 strange events listed above. 
I do know it was easily contracted...yes not wearing a dust mask is bad but only did this for a couple hours.


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## dscoggins (May 15, 2019)

I worked for a landscape company working on equipment, that's where my doctor thinks I got it but will never know due to it taking several weeks to show signs that you have it. I also visited the UP and Drummond island that spring. We will never know exactly where we got it. Blasto almost killed me, I was transferred to university of Michigan and placed on life support because it took over my lungs.


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## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)

After a piece of lung was removed and tested....the spots in my lungs were found to be carbon deposits...not blasto...not cancer...not anything living.
I am a non smoker.
I do burn lots of brush and trash piles so thats probably what it was. 
I am blasto free now.


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## reddog1 (Jan 24, 2009)

Blasto is prevalent on Drummond. A few years ago there was research done about 5 years ago on the Island. A guy just up the road from me was clearing brush on the creek bank by his house and contracted Blasto. Thought it was a cold at first and by the time they realized what it was, it was too late and it killed him. It's scary stuff for sure. I worry about my kids and Grandkids when we are on the Island. And my hounds also


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## doug-thumb of mich (Apr 26, 2018)

The early symptoms are pretty easy to overlook.
With me it was just a sinus infection....same thing I get every Winter or Spring.
This was in FEB and March....pretty normal for me.
Rounds of antibiotics did nothing because its fungal not bacteria.
You are supposed to get night sweats. I had this but only very slightly, again thinking it was a normal cold and my down comforter got me a bit hot. Not ever extremely sick.
Then on April 9th a giant welt on my left knee size of a roll of quarters and another on my right elbow that looked like a ping pong ball. These both were drained and I got the false diagnostic from 3 doctors that this was definitely MRSA which it was NOT. A culture was sent in from my elbow with returned testing results saying it was NOT MRSA yet several doctors still told me the sample or test was faulty and yes this is MRSA which was completely wrong and false. After about 200 antibiotic pills 4xs a day which did nothing except upset my stomach...I started getting lesions welts on my body which were painful and filled with orange fluid. This was my WTF....somethings really wrong moment. Blasto was in my blood stream...multiplying and this toxin was being filtered out by various lymph node systems and being pushed to the surface in fluid filled welts. So around AUG 20 I get kicked out of a hospital in the morning for getting angry and demanding lab tests which were refused due to being uninsured. I went to a second hospital around noon that same day where I was admitted. They finally took a chunk out off the giant oozing hole on my left leg and sent it to a lab. This came back as blastomycosis and I was put on itraconozole and on the road to recovery.
Looking back...it was downright scary because of all the false diagnostics and unaware doctors who did NOT do proper lab testing because I had NO MEDICAL INSURANCE.
If I listened to them....If I didnt get a second third and forth opinion finally with lab testing.
If I didnt get pissed off and angry to find an answer. I would be DEAD DEAD DEAD.


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