Coccidioidomycosis: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Geographic_Distribution_of_Coccidioidomycosis_01.png|right|thumb|200px|Geographic distribution of coccidioidomycosis.]] |
[[Image:Geographic_Distribution_of_Coccidioidomycosis_01.png|right|thumb|200px|Geographic distribution of coccidioidomycosis.]] |
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==Biological Warfare== |
==Biological Warfare== |
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''C. immitis'' was investigated by the United States during the 1950s and 1960s as a potential biological weapon.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The Cash strain received the military symbol OC, and original hopes were for its use as an incapacitant. As medical epidemiology later made clear, OC would have lethal effects on several segments of the population, so it was later considered a lethal agent. It was never standardized, and beyond a few field trials, it was never weaponized. Most military work on OC was on vaccines by the mid-1960s. |
''C. immitis'' was investigated by the United States during the 1950s and 1960s as a potential biological weapon.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} What are spore? They are dust and fungi that collects in the lungs after youinhale a lot of dust. Many people are immuned to it, but you have a chance of getting the disease from moving to a place with a lot of dust. The Cash strain received the military symbol OC, and original hopes were for its use as an incapacitant. As medical epidemiology later made clear, OC would have lethal effects on several segments of the population, so it was later considered a lethal agent. It was never standardized, and beyond a few field trials, it was never weaponized. Most military work on OC was on vaccines by the mid-1960s. |
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==Diagnostic test== |
==Diagnostic test== |
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Revision as of 17:00, 19 April 2007
| Coccidioidomycosis | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Infectious diseases  |
Coccidioidomycosis (also known as Valley fever, California valley fever, and (incorrectly) coccidiomycosis) is a fungal disease caused by Coccidioides immitis or C. posadasii.[1] It is endemic in certain parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and northwestern Mexico.[2]
C. immitis resides in the soil in certain parts of the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, and a few other areas in the Western Hemisphere. Infection is caused by inhalation of airborne, fungal particles known as arthroconidia, which are a form of spore. The disease is not transmitted from person to person. C. immitis is a dimorphic saprophytic organism that grows as a mycelium in the soil and produces a sherule form in the host organism.
Symptomatic infection (40% of cases) usually presents as an influenza-like illness with fever, cough, headaches, rash, and myalgia (muscle pain).[3] Some patients fail to recover and develop chronic pulmonary infection or widespread disseminated infection (affecting meninges, soft tissues, joints, and bone). Severe pulmonary disease may develop in HIV-infected persons.[4]
Biological Warfare
C. immitis was investigated by the United States during the 1950s and 1960s as a potential biological weapon.[citation needed] What are spore? They are dust and fungi that collects in the lungs after youinhale a lot of dust. Many people are immuned to it, but you have a chance of getting the disease from moving to a place with a lot of dust. The Cash strain received the military symbol OC, and original hopes were for its use as an incapacitant. As medical epidemiology later made clear, OC would have lethal effects on several segments of the population, so it was later considered a lethal agent. It was never standardized, and beyond a few field trials, it was never weaponized. Most military work on OC was on vaccines by the mid-1960s.
Diagnostic test
The fungal infection can be demonstrated by microscopic detection of diagnostic cells in body fluids, exudates, sputum and biopsy-tissue. With specific nucleotide primers C.immitis DNA can be amplified by PCR. It can also be detected in culture by morphological identification or by using molecular probes that hybridize with C.immitis RNA. An indirect demonstration of fungal infection can be achieved also by serologic analysis detecting fungal antigen or host antibody produced against the fungus.
Popular culture
The illness is mentioned in episode 3x04 of the TV Show House, as the cause of a young girl's loss of inhibition. The illness does not actually cause loss of inhibition, nor does it cause milky tears. This was not a factual error in the episode: House was tricking the girl, however this was not obvious to many viewers.
It is also the center of an episode of Bones (1x09), The Man In the Fallout Shelter. After being exposed to the fungus, the team was quarantined over Christmas to determine whether or not they had become infected. It was erroneously claimed to be contagious from person to person.
References
- ^ Walsh TJ, Dixon DM (1996). Spectrum of Mycoses. In: Baron's Medical Microbiology (Baron S et al, eds.) (4th ed. ed.). Univ of Texas Medical Branch. (via NCBI Bookshelf) ISBN 0-9631172-1-1.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help) - ^ Hector R, Laniado-Laborin R (2005). "Coccidioidomycosis--a fungal disease of the Americas". PLoS Med. 2 (1): e2. PMID 15696207.
- ^ Ryan KJ; Ray CG (editors) (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed. ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. pp. 680-83. ISBN 0838585299.
{{cite book}}:|author=has generic name (help);|edition=has extra text (help);|pages=has extra text (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Ampel N (2005). "Coccidioidomycosis in persons infected with HIV type 1". Clin Infect Dis. 41 (8): 1174–8. PMID 16163637.
External links
