The first local case of coccidioidomycosis, a pulmonary disease caused by fungal infection, was confirmed last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
A man in his 50s, who did not have underlying health conditions and did not visit other countries before the disease onset, began exhibiting symptoms — including fatigue, coughing and shortness of breath — in early August, CDC physician Lee Tsung-han (李宗翰) said.
As his symptoms continued, he sought medical treatment, and fungus was detected in specimens collected from his lungs, Lee said.
Photo: Hou Chia-yu, Taipei Times
The hospital treating the man was especially cautious, as the CDC in late August had released information about imported coccidioidomycosis cases, and it sent the Coccidioides-like fungus sample to the centers for further examination, he said.
After treatment, the man’s symptoms improved, Lee said.
As the man’s job involves cleaning and repairing cargo containers, the centers suspect that contaminated dirt and sand were accidentally shipped to Taiwan, and the man might have inhaled it during work and became infected, he said.
Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection contracted by inhaling airborne fungal spores in the soil, and is common in the southwestern US, Mexico and Latin America, but not endemic in Asia, including Taiwan, Lee said.
“Coccidioidomycosis is not a notifiable infectious disease [in Taiwan] and it does not spread from person to person. Most people recover on their own without specific treatment,” CDC spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) said.
However, Taiwan has many cargo containers that need to be cleaned or repaired, and those workers are exposed to a certain level of infection risk, he said, adding that they should take preventive measures to avoid infection.
Many people infected with coccidioidomycosis have no or minimal symptoms, and if symptoms develop, they usually appear one to four weeks after exposure, Lee said.
Symptoms include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, night sweats, rashes, and muscle or joint soreness, he said.
Immunocompromised people, people with underlying health conditions or diabetes, or pregnant women might develop severe and progressive lung infection and would need antifungal medications for treatment, he said.
“The CDC recommends people who work at the border or with cargo to wear a mask during work and get regular health checkups,” Lee said.
People visiting places where the disease is spreading should avoid going to dusty areas or wear a mask for better protection, he added.
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