Ep 210 Histoplasmosis: Bats, birds, and budding yeast

About this episode

This episode explores histoplasmosis, a prevalent fungal infection in North America, its effects, history, and related discoveries.

Once thought to be a rare, always fatal disease, histoplasmosis is now recognized as one of the most prevalent fungal infections in North America. It infects hundreds of thousands of people every year, and its distribution is growing. In this episode, we dissect this abundant fungus, examining how it makes us sick, who tends to get sick, and what we can do about it. We also take you through the history of this fungus, a story that features a surprise discovery, more evidence that everything is tuberculosis, and a spotlight on an extinct bird. Curious to know how all the pieces fit together? Tune in for the full picture. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics covered

• fungal infections
• histoplasmosis
• public health
• disease history
• bats
• birds
• yeast

Keywords

• histoplasmosis
• fungal infection
• North America
• bats
• birds
• tuberculosis
• health

Sponsors

Brand

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Exactly Right, iHeartPodcasts

Places: North America, tuberculosis, extinct bird

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