Unfortunately, if you’re reading this article, you’re probably one of them. One of these is histoplasmosis. Histoplasmosis is an infectious, but non-contagious fungal disease caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. There are other signs of chronic histoplasmosis to look out for, like a cough that produces blood and severe weight loss. This will weigh down the spores and prevent them from being released into the air. They just create the environment for the fungus to grow. Their body temp is too high to support the fungus. Even so, these steps may help reduce the risk of infection: 1. Living in a rural area, I feel as though I am more or less buffered from the severity of many of these illnesses. You’ll just have to let it run its course. It helps if you wet down the bedding a bit before removing it which cuts down on the dust. Although bats can be helpful when it comes to eliminating mosquito and other pest populations, you don’t want them hanging around the house, garden, or chicken coop too much. Other conditions that can weaken your immunity and increase your likelihood of getting very sick include HIV/AIDS, cancer (particularly if you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment), if you are using corticosteroid drugs or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (used for rheumatoid arthritis), and any medications that prevent the rejection of organ transplants. Ready to learn how you can keep yourself safe?Avoid or Reduce Exposure. When I put the baby Guinea fowl into the chicken run again this morning I noticed they looked kinda, well....bored! He had to have one lobe of his lung removed. There are plenty of reasons to practice proper spacing and good housing practices when it comes to your chicken coop. Prevention of histoplasmosis relies on avoiding exposure to dust in a contaminated environment. Histoplasmosis is sometimes referred to as “cave disease” because it is often spread by bats, too. Not everyone develops an illness when they are exposed to these spores, but when they do,s symptoms can be severe. Since it’s not contagious, the spores can’t be spread from person to person. However, if your symptoms are severe – or if it becomes chronic or disseminated – you will need to seek treatment with antifungal drugs. The true irony of histoplasmosis is that while it can make you extremely sick and is spread in chicken droppings, it won’t actually get your chickens sick. It can be found in other places like Central and South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa, too. Ocular Histoplasmosis, the bird droppings disease, Here are the 8 biggest fears of chicken keepers everywhere, The 9 worst mistakes a chicken keeper can make. These often need to be taken up to a year to be fully effective. Histoplasmosis causes mild to severe symptoms that usually appear about three to seventeen days after exposure. For example, inhalation of dust aerosolized from the dirt floors of chicken coops that contained H. capsulatum spores was reported more than 30 years ago as the cause of clinical cases of histoplasmosis in workers. It's also quite curious that chickens cannot contract histoplasmosis but dogs and cats can if they come in direct contact with the spores. This happened in the mid 80s he was in his 30s and became very ill. Was in the hospital for about two weeks before they diagnosed him. Today I want to talk about an illness that you can get from keeping chickens, but you've probably never heard of it. Occasionally, other organs are affected; called disseminated histoplasmosis, it can be fatal if left untreated. Before you head out to work in the chicken coop (like to clean it), spray it down with water. Histoplasmosis is most common in the United States, where it’s found in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. Prevention of histoplasmosis relies on avoiding exposure to dust in a contaminated environment. Fortunately, most people who get histoplasmosis never develop symptoms and never even know they are infected. The disease occurs worldwide, however it has been found to be indigenous in areas in the United States bordering the Missouri, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers. You aren’t as likely to contract it from collecting eggs, but it’s a good rule of thumb to wash your hands after any of these activities regardless. Related reading: Ocular Histoplasmosis, the bird droppings disease from Mother Earth news. People who have an underlying lung disease, such as emphysema, may Do your best to limit the amount of contact that your chickens have with wild birds. Spray contaminated surfaces. Histoplasmosis is usually only a serious condition for people with compromised immune systems and infants. Only about 10% of the people that contract histoplasmosis will develop serious eye or lung problems. Chickens do not necessarily transmit it directly to you. Copyright 2010-2020 Murano Chicken Farm. When this disease becomes chronic, it often looks a lot like tuberculosis. Go. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Similarly, if you work in pest control, construction, roofing, landscaping, or demolition, you’re also likely to catch the disease. In fact, many people that do contract histoplasmosis will think they have a mild cold or the flu. It's also present in bat droppings so it can also be contracted by cave exploring where there are heavy bat populations or dusty bat infested attics. Many backyard farmers have more to fear than catching an illness from their chickens. These can include chills, fever, headache, dry cough, muscle aches, chest discomfort, and fatigue. The disease was spilled and his other lobe where it continued to cause problems for the rest of his life . Or maybe we eat so many eggs becau... Chickens can be expensive. Histoplasmosis is an infectious (yet non-contagious) fungal disease that is caused by the spread of the spores of a fungus named Histoplasma capsulatum. The most severe version of the disease, disseminated histoplasmosis, affects just about any part of your body, including your central nervous system, liver, mouth, skin, and adrenal glands. Though the disease itself can be quite unpleasant, contracting histoplasmosis is really easy to prevent. Avoid exposure.