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This message is being sent to local health officers, Tribal health directors, infection preventionists, and members of the Travel Health Network.
Histoplasmosis Cases Linked to Tourism in Costa Rica
January 31, 2025, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Mycotic Diseases Branch (MDB) issued a call for cases to public health agencies of histoplasmosis linked to tourism in Venado Caves, Costa Rica. The MDB, in collaboration with public health officials in Georgia, Texas, and Washington, are investigating a cluster of 12 family members diagnosed with or reporting symptoms consistent with histoplasmosis. Individuals became mildly or moderately ill after participating in a tour of Venado Caves in Costa Rica, where bats and bat droppings were commonly sighted.
People who traveled to Venado Caves in Costa Rica recently (December 1, 2024, to present) may be at risk of histoplasmosis. People who may have been exposed are advised to seek medical care if they are feeling ill, and to inform health care providers of their travel history.
Health care providers should consider fungal diseases, especially histoplasmosis, in clinical differentials and pursue histoplasmosis testing from urine, blood, or other samples in patients with:
- Travel history to the Venado Caves in Costa Rica from December 1, 2024, to present.
- Symptom onset 3–21 days after visiting the Venado Caves.
- Symptoms compatible with histoplasmosis, including fever, cough, fatigue, chills, headache, chest pain, or body aches.
Local and Tribal health departments are encouraged to share this notice with health care providers in their jurisdiction. Providers should immediately report patients that fit these criteria, regardless of pending test results, to the Bureau of Communicable Diseases by phone at 608-267-9003 or by email at DHSDPHBCD@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Additional histoplasmosis resources:
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