An "extremely rare" fungal infection has infected at least 19 paper mill employees.
County Public Health DepartmentDelta and Menominee (PHDM) was first notified of a fungal outbreak in late February 2023. The agency was informed of 15 cases of “atypical” pneumonia among employees of the Escanaba Billerud paper mill. These people's symptoms began in January and February. Early tests suggested it might be blastomycosis, an infection caused by a fungus of the genus Blastomyces.
According to the Control Centersand disease prevention, in the United States, Blastomyces primarily grows in the Midwest, south-central, and southeastern states. There, the fungus can usually be found in moist soil and decaying organic matter, such as wood and rotting leaves. In states where blastomycosis is commonly reported, between 1 and 2 cases per 100,000 people are reported annually.
“These infections are extremely rare. On average, over the past five years, only 26 cases have been reported annually for the entire state of Michigan,” PHDM said in a statement.
After PHDM became aware of the firstcases of blastomycosis among paper mill workers, the department began an investigation. In late March, officials from the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services conducted an on-site inspection of the plant.
As of April 7Investigators have identified 19 confirmed cases of blastomycosis. Paper mill employees exhibited symptoms of the disease, and their clinical samples grew Blastomyces fungus when cultured in the laboratory. Experts also identified 74 “probable cases.” This means that people with symptoms of blastomycosis have antibodies “that latch on to the fungus,” CDC officials conclude.
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On the cover: a yeast form of B. dermatitidis grown on blood agar at 37°C and photographed using Nomarsky differential interference contrast microscopy
Author: James Scott personal photo