As rescuers in Thailand continue working to extract the remaining eight boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave complex, the childrenâs health -- both physical and mental -- is a major concern.
One illness they may be at risk of developing is histoplasmosis.
Also known as âcave diseaseâ and âspelunkerâs lung,â histoplasmosis is a disease that is caused by breathing in spores of the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.
âThese are spores that reside frequently in caves and are often found in the excretions of bats,â Dr. Paul Auerbach, a professor of emergency medicine at Californiaâs Stanford University, told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel on Sunday.
Most cases of histoplasmosis primarily affect a patientâs lungs.
âIn a person with a normal immune system, histoplasmosis usually occurs and the patient never knows that they have it,â Auerbach explained. âThey may get a bit of a fever, a bit of a cough and it seems like a viral illness and it just passes. So thatâs the majority of cases.â
According to the U.S.-based , signs and symptoms generally manifest in three to 17 days after exposure to the spores. Other symptoms include chills, headaches, muscle aches and chest discomfort.
While the disease is relatively benign in most cases, for infants and people with compromised immune systems, such as the elderly and those with AIDS, histoplasmosis can be incredibly serious, leading to tuberculosis-like symptoms such as coughing up blood. In such cases, called disseminated histoplasmosis, the disease can also affect nearly every part of the body and even lead to death if left untreated.
âIn less common cases, it can become a more serious disease, particularly in people that suffer from any significant immunosuppression,â Auerbach said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, coming into contact with soil contaminated by bird and bat droppings can also cause histoplasmosis, putting farmers, pest control workers, poultry keepers, construction workers, roofers, landscapers and gardeners at risk as well as cave explorers.