Mease Luke
MSMR. 2012 Dec;19(12):2-4.
Coccidioidomycosis is an infection caused by inhalation of Coccidioides species of fungi, which grow in the soil of the southwestern United States. Many thousands of military service members are assigned to, or perform training in, the endemic region. During the 13 years 1999 through 2011, 483 active component service members were diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis (rate: 2.69 cases per 100,000 person-years). Twelve percent of all diagnoses specified extrapulmonary infection, indicating dissemination to other organ systems (e.g., skin, skeleton, or central nervous system). Service members of Asian/Pacific Islander race had markedly higher incidence rates of coccidioidomycosis, particularly extrapulmonary disease, compared to members of other racial/ethnic groups. Crude incidence rates of coccidioidomycosis in service members older than 40 and males were higher than the rates of their respective counterparts. Preventive strategies to reduce exposure to this environmental pathogen are discussed.
球孢子菌病是因吸入球孢子菌属真菌而引起的一种感染，该真菌生长于美国西南部的土壤中。成千上万的军人被派往该流行地区或在该地区进行训练。在1999年至2011年的13年间，483名现役军人被诊断患有球孢子菌病（发病率：每10万人年2.69例）。所有诊断病例中有12%指明为肺外感染，表明已扩散至其他器官系统（如皮肤、骨骼或中枢神经系统）。与其他种族/族裔群体的军人相比，亚太岛民种族的军人患球孢子菌病的发病率明显更高，尤其是肺外疾病。40岁以上军人和男性患球孢子菌病的粗发病率高于各自的对应人群。本文讨论了减少接触这种环境病原体的预防策略。
