What is blastomycosis, and how does an animal get this disease?
Blastomycosis is a fungal disease caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis. This fungus most commonly infects humans and animals through the respiratory tract. After spores are inhaled, they settle in the small airways and begin to reproduce. Subsequent to this, the organism spreads throughout the body to involve many organs. Infrequently, infection occurs through inoculation of an open wound. Although researchers in human medicine have been mostly unsuccessful in reliably isolating the organism from the environment, it does appear that both humans and animals become infected from particular environmental sources, probably the soil. In the United States, the disease is most prevalent in the warm, moist environment found in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. It is very common in the Southeastern United States. What can I do to rid the environment of the fungal organism? Nothing. The organism is ubiquitous, meaning it lives everywhere. What are the signs of this disease? The fungus seems
