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Volume 24, Number 7—July 2018
CME ACTIVITY - Research

Epidemiology and Geographic Distribution of Blastomycosis, Histoplasmosis, and Coccidioidomycosis, Ontario, Canada, 1990–2015

Elizabeth M. Brown1, Lisa R. McTaggart1, Deirdre Dunn, Elizabeth Pszczolko, Kar George Tsui, Shaun K. Morris, Derek Stephens, Julianne V. Kus2Comments to Author , and Susan E. Richardson2
Author affiliations: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (E.M. Brown, L.R. McTaggart, D. Dunn, E. Pszczolko, K.G. Tsui, J.V. Kus, S.E. Richardson); University of Toronto, Toronto (E.M. Brown, S.K. Morris, J.V. Kus, S.E. Richardson); The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (S.K. Morris, D. Stephens, S.E. Richardson)

Main Article

Table 1

Characteristics of microbiology laboratory–confirmed blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and coccidioidomycosis cases reported in Ontario, Canada, 1990–2015

Characteristic No. (%) cases*
Blastomycosis, n = 1,092 Histoplasmosis, n = 211 Coccidioidomycosis, n = 89
Patient sex n = 963 n = 180 n = 80
  M 627 (65.1) 144 (80.0) 48 (60.0)
  F
 336 (34.9)
 36 (20.0)
 32 (40.0)
Patient age, y n = 973 n = 158 n = 71
  <19 126 (12.9) 2 (1.3) 0
  20–29 119 (12.2) 11 (6.7) 1 (1.4)
  30–39 167 (17.2) 28 (17.7) 7 (9.9)
  40–49 201 (20.7) 32 (20.3) 7 (9.9)
  50–59 175 (18.0) 47 (29.7) 22 (31.0)
  60–69 90 (9.2) 22 (13.9) 21 (29.6)
  >70
 95 (9.8)
 16 (10.1)
 13 (19.7)
Source of specimen isolation n = 895 n = 202 n = 81
  Respiratory 754 (84.2) 91 (45.0) 65 (80.2)
  Skin, wound, subcutaneous tissue 77 (8.6) 14 (6.9) 5 (6.2)
  Mucous membrane† 6 (0.67) 3 (1.5) 0
  Bone, joint 14 (1.6) 2 (0.99) 3 (3.7)
  Genitourinary 1 (0.11) 0 0
  Gastrointestinal 2 (0.22) 7 (3.5) 0
  CNS 6 (0.67) 7 (3.5) 0
  Other‡ 10 (1.1) 46 (22.8) 3 (3.7)
  Multiple§ 25 (2.8) 32 (15.8) 5 (6.2)

*Counts for blastomycosis are from 1995–2015 and for histoplasmosis and coccidioidomycosis from 1990–2015 data. We omitted cases for which age, sex, or source of specimen isolation were unknown from the calculations. n values by each category are also provided.
†Specimen types included ocular fluid, oral biopsy (tongue), nasal swab, and nasal biopsy.
‡Specimen types included bone marrow, lymph node tissue, blood, parathyroid gland tissue, and adrenal gland tissue and fluid.
§Specimens from >2 noncontiguous body sites received <6 months apart.

Main Article

1These first authors contributed equally to this article.

2These senior responsible authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: June 14, 2018
Page updated: June 14, 2018
Page reviewed: June 14, 2018
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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