Histoplasma capsulatum in the yard and garden
High risk for your yardHistoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungus (mold at 25C, yeast at 37C) and the causative agent of histoplasmosis, the most common endemic mycosis in the United States. Endemic regions: Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, Central America, parts of Africa and Asia. The fungus thrives in soil enriched with bird or bat guano — classic exposure settings include cave exploration (spelunkers), chicken coop cleaning, demolition of old buildings with bat roosts, and urban construction in endemic areas. Infection occurs via inhalation of microconidia (2-4 um). Most infections (95%) are asymptomatic or self-limited in immunocompetent individuals, causing only a positive histoplasmin skin test. Symptomatic acute pulmonary histoplasmosis resembles community-acquired pneumonia. Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) occurs in immunocompromised patients (especially HIV/AIDS with CD4 <150): involves liver, spleen, bone marrow, adrenal glands, CNS; mortality 100% if untreated. WHO 2022 Fungal Priority Pathogens List: High priority. Treatment: mild — itraconazole; severe/disseminated — amphotericin B followed by itraconazole. Urine and serum antigen testing (Histoplasma galactomannan) is standard diagnostic.
What is histoplasma capsulatum?
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Risk for people, pets,
High riskHistoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungus (mold at 25C, yeast at 37C) and the causative agent of histoplasmosis, the most common endemic mycosis in the United States. Endemic regions: Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, Central America, parts of Africa and Asia. The fungus thrives in soil enriched with bird or bat guano — classic exposure settings include cave exploration (spelunkers), chicken coop cleaning, demolition of old buildings with bat roosts, and urban construction in endemic areas. Infection occurs via inhalation of microconidia (2-4 um). Most infections (95%) are asymptomatic or self-limited in immunocompetent individuals, causing only a positive histoplasmin skin test. Symptomatic acute pulmonary histoplasmosis resembles community-acquired pneumonia. Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) occurs in immunocompromised patients (especially HIV/AIDS with CD4 <150): involves liver, spleen, bone marrow, adrenal glands, CNS; mortality 100% if untreated. WHO 2022 Fungal Priority Pathogens List: High priority. Treatment: mild — itraconazole; severe/disseminated — amphotericin B followed by itraconazole. Urine and serum antigen testing (Histoplasma galactomannan) is standard diagnostic.
Regulatory consensus
1 regulatory bodyhas classified Histoplasma capsulatum.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | — | — |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where your yard encounter histoplasma capsulatum
- Soil (Endemic Areas) — Ohio/Mississippi River valleys, Central America, Cave guano
- Animal Excreta — Bird roosts, Bat guano, Chicken coops
Frequently asked questions
Is histoplasma capsulatum safe for your yard?
Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungus (mold at 25C, yeast at 37C) and the causative agent of histoplasmosis, the most common endemic mycosis in the United States. Endemic regions: Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, Central America, parts of Africa and Asia. The fungus thrives in soil enriched with bird or bat guano — classic exposure settings include cave exploration (spelunkers), chicken coop cleaning, demolition of old buildings with bat roosts, and urban construction in endemic areas. Infection occurs via inhalation of microconidia (2-4 um). Most infections (95%) are asymptomatic or self-limited in immunocompetent individuals, causing only a positive histoplasmin skin test. Symptomatic acute pulmonary histoplasmosis resembles community-acquired pneumonia. Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) occurs in immunocompromised patients (especially HIV/AIDS with CD4 <150): involves liver, spleen, bone marrow, adrenal glands, CNS; mortality 100% if untreated. WHO 2022 Fungal Priority Pathogens List: High priority. Treatment: mild — itraconazole; severe/disseminated — amphotericin B followed by itraconazole. Urine and serum antigen testing (Histoplasma galactomannan) is standard diagnostic.
What products contain histoplasma capsulatum?
Histoplasma capsulatum appears in: Ohio/Mississippi River valleys (Soil (endemic areas)); Central America (Soil (endemic areas)); Bird roosts (Animal excreta); Bat guano (Animal excreta).
See Histoplasma capsulatum in the outdoor app
Look up products containing histoplasma capsulatum, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in outdoor View raw API dataSources (2)
- PubChem (2026) — database
- ALETHEIA fungi compound batch (2026) — batch_creation
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →