We don live in a highly endemic area for blastomycosis, yet our friends dog developed severe blastomycosis and died. How can this be?
Infection can be acquired at various times during an animal or person’s life. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that there may be brief periods of time in which the organism is present in the environment, and people or animals encountering it will be infected. These encounters might occur on vacations, or even brief outings, such as a hike through a marshland or wooded area, when the spores of the fungus were present. Thus, clinicians should inquire as to the recent history of patients and consider the possibility that blastomycosis might have been acquired while on an outing or vacation, if that individual does not reside in an area where the disease commonly occurs.
