‘Unprecedented’ Fungal Outbreak at US Mill: 150+ Infected, One Died

United States: So far, over 150 paper mill workers in Michigan got infected with a common soil fungus, and one died in a massive uncontrolled outbreak in paper mills rarely seen in US history, but health officials and researchers could not determine exactly how it happened this week.

More about the news

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an outbreak of blastomycosis at Billerud Paper in Escanaba that began in November 2022 and ended in May 2023 affected not less than 162 patients.

Out of all people infected by the fungus called Blastomyces, 18 were admitted to the hospital, and one man passed away.

This outbreak is the first blastomycosis described in a linked paper mill or other industrial facilities.

A fungus sickened more than 150 Michigan workers. The CDC still isn't sure why it happened https://t.co/TpqFrpsmTv

— Detroit Free Press (@freep) January 2, 2025

The company occupies 2,200 acres for paper mill complexes, indoor mill structures and outdoor woodyards, water treatment Lagoons, and a landfill, according to CDC, lansingstatejournal.com reported.

Leaders conducted a sample poll across 603 of the 1000 workers within the plant, and from tests, at least 20 percent of the workers probably got the virus.

About the disease

Blastomycosis is a fungal disease due to the inhalation of Blastomyces products that lead to life-threatening pulmonary disease and high hospital admissions.

The CDC identified pulmonary illness as the most frequent manifestation – from mild respiratory symptoms to severe manifestations that may be fatal pneumonia. Skin lesions are among the symptoms in about 25 percent of the cases.

About 40–50 percent of people exposed to Blastomyces develop subclinical infection.

A fungus sickened more than 150 Michigan workers. The CDC still isn't sure why it happened

A common soil fungus sickened more than 150 Michigan paper mill workers, and killed one, in what health officials called the largest such outbreak in U.S. history, but the exact cause… pic.twitter.com/fZezTWAnyS

— Deborah (@Deborah07849071) January 2, 2025

The disease was found to have affected children and adults who visited an environmental camp in Northern Wisconsin in 1984.

Official sources disclosed that 48 of 95 people (89 of them children) in two groups contracted the disease during a two-week period in June of that year.

In the study conducted among 645 workers who participated in the investigation, 162 were confirmed to have blastomycosis, and of the above, the signs and symptoms discussed included cough, 90 percent, shortness of breath, fever, or chills, lansingstatejournal.com reported.

The rest said they had other symptoms, including loss of weight, general weakness, joint or bone pain, and muscle pain.