Blastomycosis [blasʺto-mi-koʹsis]
From the Greek blastós (“germ, sprout”) and mykēs (“fungus, mushroom”), this invasive fungal infection was first reported in 1894 by T. C. Gilchrist. Gilchrist initially believed the disease was caused by a protozoan, but in collaboration with W.R. Stokes, he subsequently isolated the organism, which he named Blastomyces dermatitidis. The infection became known as Chicago disease because most early cases were identified in the Chicago area, but it was subsequently shown to be endemic to much of eastern North America. Sporadic cases have also been reported in Africa, the Middle East, and India.
Footnotes
Suggested citation for this article: Etymologia: blastomycosis. Emerg Infect Dis [Internet]. 2014 Nov [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2011.ET2011
Sources
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