Did you know that bats carry approximately 60 viruses that are transmittable to humans? Bat dropping illnesses are not the only ones you should be worried about if you have them in your home. Fortunately, you have a phone call away.
Today, we thought it prudent to educate you on the histoplasmosis illness caused by bats or their droppings.
What Is Acute Pulmonary Histoplasmosis?
Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease caused when one inhales the spores of Histoplasma capsulatum. The fungus, commonly found in dust and soils, becomes a carrier through bat droppings. Annually, a thousand people get infected with the disease. Most of them show mild symptoms of flu-like illness that disappear after a while even without treatment.
However, some people experience acute pulmonary histoplasmosis. This usually affects those with low immunity. The cycle of acute pulmonary histoplasmosis is:
- Acquire the disease after fungus exposure
- Get the infection again
- The symptoms become severe
Do You Have Histoplasmosis?
Histoplasmosis affects the lungs with minimal symptoms. After ten days, most of those infected experience flu-like symptoms such as lack of appetite, shortness of breath, muscle pains, headache and dry cough. While most people get well without intense treatment, others can experience long-term illnesses, especially those with a weakened immune system.
How Can You Prevent Histoplasmosis?
Cleaning your attic is one way to prevent the fungal infection since you are removing bird and bat droppings. Please remember to spray some water when cleaning to keep the dust settled, and don’t forget to put on protective, disposable clothing.
If you have scattered bat droppings in your attic, don’t panic. A good vacuuming can clean it. But if you are unsure, contact animal removal services to come to your rescue.
Bats host human-transmittable diseases. There is no sure way of ascertaining that they carry the infection unless someone in your home becomes infected. Since prevention is better than cure, get in touch with animal capture services today to keep everyone safe.