Blastomycosis in Ontario, 1994-2003

Overview

Journal Emerg Infect Dis

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2006 Feb 24

PMID 16494754

Citations 33

Authors

Shaun K Morris

Jason Brophy

Susan E Richardson

Richard Summerbell

Patricia C Parkin

Frances Jamieson

Bill Limerick

Lyle Wiebe

E Lee Ford-Jones

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We describe a case of blastomycosis in an 8-year-old boy with Blastomyces-associated osteomyelitis and possible pulmonary involvement. We also identify 309 cases of blastomycosis in Ontario that were seen during a 10-year period, 57% of which occurred from 2001 to 2003. The overall incidence during the study period was 0.30 cases per 100,000 population. Most patients were from north Ontario (n = 188), where the incidence was 2.44 cases per 100,000. The incidence in the Toronto region was 0.29 per 100,000. Thirteen percent of cases occurred in children <19 years of age. These findings substantially increase the number of known cases in Ontario and Canada. Clinicians may encounter persons infected with Blastomyces dermatitidis and must be familiar with its signs and symptoms and be aware of locations, such as northwestern Ontario, where disease is endemic or hyperendemic. We advocate resuming blastomycosis as a reportable disease in Ontario to facilitate tracking cases.

Citing Articles

Perspectives on blastomycosis in Canada in the face of climate change.

Khadilkar A, Waddell L, Acheson E, Ogden N Can Commun Dis Rep. 2024; 50(11):400-411.

PMID: 39525076 PMC: 11542677. DOI: 10.14745/ccdr.v50i11a04.

Osteoarticular Mycoses.

Gamaletsou M, Rammaert B, Brause B, Bueno M, Dadwal S, Henry M Clin Microbiol Rev. 2022; 35(4):e0008619.

PMID: 36448782 PMC: 9769674. DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00086-19.

A case of disseminated blastomycosis with pulmonary, genitourinary, and osteoarticular involvement in southern Saskatchewan.

Bennie Ho K, Ng M, Tallon K J Assoc Med Microbiol Infect Dis Can. 2022; 5(1):39-43.

PMID: 36339010 PMC: 9603311. DOI: 10.3138/jammi.2019-0010.

Impact of climate change on emerging infectious diseases: Implications for Canada.

Carignan A, Valiquette L, Laupland K J Assoc Med Microbiol Infect Dis Can. 2022; 4(2):55-59.

PMID: 36337740 PMC: 9602962. DOI: 10.3138/jammi.2018-12-10.

Disseminated blastomycosis in a 1-year-old, male golden retriever-poodle crossbred dog.

Garofalo J Can Vet J. 2022; 63(8):855-858.

PMID: 35919470 PMC: 9292325.

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