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Inside America's biggest ever fungus outbreak that sickened hundreds and left one dead WERE YOU SICKENED IN THE MICHIGAN BLASTOMYCOSIS OUTBREAK? GET IN TOUCH AT [email protected] By EMILY JOSHU STERNE HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 20:38, 2 January 2025 | Updated: 20:52, 2 January 2025 e-mail View comments Health officials are warning about a little-known deadly fungus that caused the biggest fungal outbreak in US history.
Last February, 162 workers at Billerud Paper in Michigan were sickened with blastomycosis, an infection caught by inhaling spores from the fungus Blastomyces. Of those, 18 workers were hospitalized with scarring on their lungs that made it difficult to breathe. One patient died.
The outbreak made headlines at the time , but the CDC has published its full report on this week. All of the patients worked at or visited the factory, and most reported seemingly benign symptoms like coughing and fatigue. Blastomyces is believed to be found in moist soil, especially in the woods or near water, and decaying wood.
Investigators warned that despite the paper mill's location 'in a wooded area consistent with Blastomyces' habitat,' they were unable to find the cause of the outbreak. And officials fear the disease may be more widespread than previously thought , as most states are not required to report cases. A Billerud paper mill in Escabana, Michigan (pictured) has reopened after closing for three weeks because it found itself at the center of a deadly blastomycosis outbreak Ian Pritchard, a 29-year-old chef in Michigan, died last year of blastomycosis after the disease made his lungs look like 'Swiss cheese.
' It's unclear if he had any connection to the Billerud paper mill Your browser does not support iframes. Blastomycosis kills one in five patients, as spores ravage the lungs by triggering harmful inflammation, leading to severe pneumonia . The disease is rare, affecting just two in 100,000 Americans every year.
Delta County, where the mill is located, reported just one case a year before the outbreak. CDC officials wrote in the report: 'This outbreak was the largest documented blastomycosis outbreak in the United States, and the first associated with a paper mill or an industrial setting. 'A coordinated public health response facilitated swift prevention measures with recommendations focused on reducing workers' exposure to Blastomyces, including hazard communication, respiratory protection, mill cleaning, and ventilation system improvements.
' In April 2023, the plant voluntarily shuttered production for three weeks to upgrade air filters and clean ventilation ductwork. Health authorities conducted information sessions for workers about blastomycosis and trained them about protective measures, such as wearing masks. The report comes nearly one year after 29-year-old Ian Pritchard, a chef from Michigan, died from the disease after it ravaged his body for months.
Read More Deadly fungus that has a 20% kill rate more common in US than previously thought Mr Pritchard's father said the disease attacked his son's lung tissue, making them look like 'Swiss cheese.' It's unclear if Mr Pritchard had any connection to the paper mill. He lived in Petoskey, about 180 miles from Escanaba, where the plant is located.
According to the CDC's report, local health authorities in Michigan were notified of a 'cluster of atypical pneumonia cases' among workers at the mill in February 2023. Urine tests were positive for Blastomyces. 'All cases occurred among persons who worked at or visited the paper mill (workers) before illness onset,' CDC experts wrote.
Officials from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) opened an investigation in March 2023 and surveyed 645 of the mill's 1,000 workers. More than eight in 10 employees were men, and 94 percent were white. The average age was 46, with the youngest worker being 19 and the oldest being 73.
Most patients suffered a cough (90 percent), shortness of breath (76 percent), fatigue (76 percent), and a fever or chills (73 percent). Just under two-thirds had 'abnormal lung findings on chest imaging,' which could have included fluid around the lungs or white spots, which indicate an infection. The above map shows states where blastomycosis cases have been confirmed (red), recently confirmed (orange) or are suspected to occur (blue) Mr Pritchard was one of the roughly half of people exposed to Blastomyces who get sick.
The infection is fatal in up to 22 percent of cases Health authorities were unable to find the source of the fungus, which is usually found in soil and decaying wood in forests and along water. No additional cases have been reported as of April 2024. Officials estimate blastomycosis affected one in five mill workers.
The most common symptoms of blastomycosis are fever, cough, shortness of breath, night sweats, muscle aches, weight loss, and fatigue. Some patients also develop skin lesions like blisters or ulcers. Blactomycosis is treated with antifungal medications for six months to a year.
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