Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
09:57
Passive Administration of Monoclonal Antibodies Against H. capsulatum and Others Fungal Pathogens
Published on: February 14, 2011
[Imported cases of histoplasmosis]
Laurent Nyffenegger1, Mohamed Abbas, Grégoire Gex
1Service des maladies infectieuses, HUG, Genève 14. laurent.nyffenegger@hcuge.ch
Revue Medicale Suisse
|January 8, 2010
Summary
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection, often opportunistic in HIV patients. Prompt antifungal and antiretroviral treatment is crucial for disseminated, life-threatening cases, especially with global travel.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection with two variants, capsulatum and duboisii, found in specific global regions.
- It can be opportunistic in individuals with HIV and is rare but imported into Europe.
- In immunocompetent individuals, infection is often asymptomatic or causes mild pulmonary symptoms.
Purpose:
- To describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of histoplasmosis.
- To highlight the importance of considering imported fungal infections in a globalized world.
Summary:
- Histoplasmosis presents differently in immunocompetent versus immunocompromised individuals.
- Disseminated histoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients is life-threatening and requires immediate antifungal and highly active antiretroviral therapy.
- Diagnosis is primarily through cultures.
Impact:
- Emphasizes the need for awareness of exotic diseases in non-endemic areas, particularly for travelers and immunocompromised populations.
- Underscores the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment for severe histoplasmosis cases.
- Highlights the role of globalization in the spread of infectious diseases.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
01:22American Trypanosomiasis
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
01:26Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a severe tick-borne illness caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a Gram-negative, coccobacillary bacterium. This pathogen is an obligate intracellular parasite, requiring a host cell for replication. Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected tick. In the United States, the most important vectors are Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) and Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain wood tick), though other tick species may also serve as vectors.
01:30Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. The parasite exists in two principal morphological forms during its life cycle. A sandfly acquires intracellular amastigotes from an infected reservoir host, such as a dog. Within the sandfly, these forms differentiate into motile, flagellated promastigotes. During a subsequent blood meal, promastigotes are injected into the human host, where they...
01:12Giardiasis
Giardiasis is a globally prevalent intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia or G. intestinalis). This flagellated protozoan is the most frequently identified intestinal parasite in the United States and worldwide. Transmission primarily occurs via the fecal-oral route, with infection arising from ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts. Individuals in low-resource settings, international travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, daycare...