Uploaded August 2018 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
This film, The Mississippi Valley disease: histoplasmosis, was made in 1956 by the Training Branch, C.D.C., Public Health Service. In the film, a host and two doctors examine histoplasmosis, also called the Mississippi Valley disease. The host first explains that 30 million persons suffer from the disease. He introduces a doctor who is a leading authority on histoplasmosis, who explains that around 80 percent of all people living in the Mississippi Valley area have had the disease at some point in their lives. He checks the skin test of the host, and says the host himself had the disease at one point in his life, and he probably just didn't know because it was so mild. The doctor shows a film about two men, Frank and his son David, who are working to clear a silo of bird droppings and feathers. David gets very ill, and Frank gets mildly ill. They are originally thought to have TB, and it is explained that x-ray results for tuberculosis and histoplasmosis are almost identical. Researchers declared the bird droppings responsible. The doctor explains that while histoplasmosis was once a mystery, doctors now know where it comes from, how it's spread, and how to cure it. He explains that city dwellers often get the disease by visiting the country, and it is usually caught after exposure to barns or silos where livestock have lived. The doctor then shows another film, this time featuring a mother, father, grandmother, and four children who recently moved to a farm. All but the grandmother grow ill, and though it is first believed to be typhoid, their doctors then realize that it is histoplasmosis. They are all treated and the source of the infection is identified as the barn. The doctor concludes the film by checking the skin tests of members of the camera crew and audience, showing that all those with positive tests are from the Mississippi Valley area, and urging people to be cautious around livestock. Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum (H. capsulatum). The fungus lives in the environment, particularly in soil that contains large amounts of bird or bat droppings. In the United States, Histoplasma mainly lives in the central and eastern states, especially areas around the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. The fungus also lives in parts of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. People can get histoplasmosis after breathing in the microscopic fungal spores from the air. Although most people who breathe in the spores don’t get sick, those who do may have a fever, cough, and fatigue. Many people who get histoplasmosis will get better on their own without medication, but in some people, such as those who have weakened immune systems, the infection can become severe. Anyone working at a job or present near activities where material contaminated with H. capsulatum becomes airborne can develop histoplasmosis if enough spores are inhaled. After an exposure, how ill a person becomes varies greatly and most likely depends on the number of spores inhaled and a person’s age and susceptibility to the disease. The number of inhaled spores needed to cause disease is unknown. Generally, very few people will develop symptomatic disease after a low-level exposure to material contaminated with H. capsulatum spores. However, longer durations of exposure and exposure to higher concentrations of airborne contaminated material increase a person’s risk of developing histoplasmosis. A partial list of occupations with risks for exposure to H. capsulatum spores bridge inspectors or painters, chimney cleaners, construction and demolition workers, farmers, heating and air-conditioning system installer or service persons, and pest control workers. If a worker develops flu-like symptoms days or even weeks after disturbing material that might be contaminated with H. capsulatum, and the illness worsens rather than subsides after a few days, medical care should be sought and the health care provider informed about the exposure. Outbreaks of histoplasmosis have also occurred among people who were infected by H. capsulatum even though they had no part in the activities that caused contaminated material to become aerosolized. For detailed information about work-relatedness and prevention, go to the NIOSH web page at cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-109/.
This film, The Mississippi Valley disease: histoplasmosis, was made in 1956 by the Training Branch, C.D.C., Public Health Service. In the film, a host and two doctors examine histoplasmosis, also called the Mississippi Valley disease. The host first explains that 30 million persons suffer from the disease. He introduces a doctor who is a leading authority on histoplasmosis, who explains that around 80 percent of all people living in the Mississippi Valley area have had the disease at some point in their lives. He checks the skin test of the host, and says the host himself had the disease at one point in his life, and he probably just didn't know because it was so mild. The doctor shows a film about two men, Frank and his son David, who are working to clear a silo of bird droppings and feathers. David gets very ill, and Frank gets mildly ill. They are originally thought to have TB, and it is explained that x-ray results for tuberculosis and histoplasmosis are almost identical. Researchers declared the bird droppings responsible. The doctor explains that while histoplasmosis was once a mystery, doctors now know where it comes from, how it's spread, and how to cure it. He explains that city dwellers often get the disease by visiting the country, and it is usually caught after exposure to barns or silos where livestock have lived. The doctor then shows another film, this time featuring a mother, father, grandmother, and four children who recently moved to a farm. All but the grandmother grow ill, and though it is first believed to be typhoid, their doctors then realize that it is histoplasmosis. They are all treated and the source of the infection is identified as the barn. The doctor concludes the film by checking the skin tests of members of the camera crew and audience, showing that all those with positive tests are from the Mississippi Valley area, and urging people to be cautious around livestock. Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum (H. capsulatum). The fungus lives in the environment, particularly in soil that contains large amounts of bird or bat droppings. In the United States, Histoplasma mainly lives in the central and eastern states, especially areas around the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. The fungus also lives in parts of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. People can get histoplasmosis after breathing in the microscopic fungal spores from the air. Although most people who breathe in the spores don’t get sick, those who do may have a fever, cough, and fatigue. Many people who get histoplasmosis will get better on their own without medication, but in some people, such as those who have weakened immune systems, the infection can become severe. Anyone working at a job or present near activities where material contaminated with H. capsulatum becomes airborne can develop histoplasmosis if enough spores are inhaled. After an exposure, how ill a person becomes varies greatly and most likely depends on the number of spores inhaled and a person’s age and susceptibility to the disease. The number of inhaled spores needed to cause disease is unknown. Generally, very few people will develop symptomatic disease after a low-level exposure to material contaminated with H. capsulatum spores. However, longer durations of exposure and exposure to higher concentrations of airborne contaminated material increase a person’s risk of developing histoplasmosis. A partial list of occupations with risks for exposure to H. capsulatum spores bridge inspectors or painters, chimney cleaners, construction and demolition workers, farmers, heating and air-conditioning system installer or service persons, and pest control workers. If a worker develops flu-like symptoms days or even weeks after disturbing material that might be contaminated with H. capsulatum, and the illness worsens rather than subsides after a few days, medical care should be sought and the health care provider informed about the exposure. Outbreaks of histoplasmosis have also occurred among people who were infected by H. capsulatum even though they had no part in the activities that caused contaminated material to become aerosolized. For detailed information about work-relatedness and prevention, go to the NIOSH web page at cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-109/.
