I got infected with Histo on Memorial day. I pulled out some old landscape timbers and put in new ones. If I had put on a simple dust mask my summer would have been much better. We still aren't 100 percent sure but about 99 percent sure thats what I had. I was in bed with a fever for 2 1/2 weeks. My liver and gall bladder were enlarged/inflammed. My first doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. My second doctor had a CT scan done of my lower GI. Then they had me do a chest CT scan. Histo looks like Lung cancer. My wife was out of her mind with worry. Then my lung collapsed when they did the biopsy to get a sample. It took me until mid September to get my energy level back to normal. I wear a full face respirator, tyveck suit, nitrile gloves and rubber boots when cleaning up guano. Histo is found in moist soil conditions. That is why it is common in bat and bird droppings. I should state I am high risk of infections because I have arthritis. The drug I was taking breaks down the encapsulation of Histo. I switched to a new drug but my arthritis flared up bad. My point is be careful around moist soil. Healthy people can still get sick with Histo. It used to be called 'summer flu' or 'gardeners flu'. Histo is never killed. Your body encapsulates it to stop it from spreading. Talking with customers I have heard stories of it spreading to the heart and the spinal system. It affected those people the rest of their lives. This post is meant to be educational. Don't feel sorry for me. I got thru it. It was a long summer but I'm good to go for the Fur trapping season ao all is good. A man's got to have his prioritys.

Dave glad to see your doing well. Yeah histo is not good. It is a very good idea to take all the proper steps to stay safe in first place but we all can get complacient sometimes. Next time hopefully I will think back on your story and not do something stupid. Thanks for sharing I had no idea you were going thru all that.

Troy

wow, sorry to read that. thankfully you made it. I had a job 5 months ago where a new renter moved in. Their 18 year old daughters room was in the finished attic. Her mother told me her vision started to get really severe. they went to the eye doctor only to find out that she had histo. I don't know if she ever got any better but she was almost blind when i was there doing the bat work. I'm kinda thankful that one didnt come in as a clean out too, it scares me

Good to know...Thanx for the post....

I did a podcast with Craig Coon last winter. This is a six figure trapper in NY. He failed to don a mask for a 5 minute check in a attic and ended up losing 2 1/2 months work laid upweeks later.

My point is 5 minutes can equal 2/1 months without no income.

Wear a respirator.

Good post thanks for sharing.

Hey Robb, i dont know alot about respirators but the company provides me with one. Is there a certain kind that is better than others>? does anyone else have any input?

The respirators must be HEPA-rated, not just a painters or dust mask rating. Same as for asbestos removal. Here's some great links:

http://icwdm.org/diseases/default.asp

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/histoplasmosis_gi.html#8

Just adding one more link-
NIOSH: Histoplasmosis: Protecting Workers at Risk - Revised Edition
(Looks like you have to copy and paste below link)
http://www.elcosh.org/en/document/718/d000679/niosh%253A-histoplasmosis%253A-protecting-workers-at-risk-revised-edition.html

What Ron Scheller said.

I actually use full-face respirators due to other dangerous bacteria or fungus in the air.... it's the things we can't see that are the most dangerous.

Note: Ocular Histo is originally acquired by breathing Histo spores, then affects the eyes as another faction of the disease.

When doing attic inspecteion or clean-out work I wear a fullface respirator, Tyvek suit, nitrile gloses and rubber boots. I was working at home in the dirt and didn't think to wear a respirator.
I'm finally back to 100 percent. Thank goodness as fur trapping opened Sat.

Yep, word to the wise indeed, as I sit here looking out the window with an inhailer, heavy meds and a $300, visit for a chest x-ray!

Now granted, I've got pneumonia but my lungs were not in the best of shape before this and all because of stupid tricks just like that one!

Feeling better, thanks, but as Bobby J. pointed out, we need to take better care of ourselves at this point!
Good advice indeed!!!

In reality.... everyone gets ultra freaked out about Histo in an attic with bat guano, but it grows best in damp conditions. Way more likely to get Histo due to bird droppings under a tree or under any type of roosting spot outside, as the dirt provides a more favorable growing condition than a hot, dry attic. Most people who get it do so by working in dirt outside....

If my wife asks me why I hired a landscaper to do the yard work, I'm going to tell her that Ron Scheller made me do it! Thanks Ron.