Florida man who lost 50lbs in a year without Ozempic was horrified to learn a deadly organism was growing inside him

A man who lost 50 pounds without doing anything was told his weight loss was due to a deadly fungus found in bat droppings.

The 61-year-old Florida man, whose name has not been released, had been suffering from night sweats, extreme fatigue and fever for about 10 months before finally going to the hospital.

Tests revealed that he was infected with a bacteria called Histoplasma capsulatum, and his levels of the bacteria were abnormally high, about 25 times higher than the level detectable by blood tests.

The fungus infected his heart and caused inflammation throughout his body, causing his spleen to swell and two masses to form in his adrenal glands.

Doctor I have written The man had diabetes, high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat, but was lucky to survive, according to the case report.

For people with weakened immune systems, severe fungal infections have a 100% mortality rate if left untreated, but for those infected with COVID-19, the mortality rate is less than 0.1%.

The Florida patient worked as a construction supervisor and owned a 16-acre farm where he raised calves.

Doctors are baffled as to how he contracted the infection, as the bacteria is not commonly diagnosed in Florida and is most prevalent in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys.

The CDC suggests that these areas are “more suitable” for the growth of H. capsulatum due to soil acidity, distance from water, and land coverage.

H. capsulatum is a fungus that lives in the feces of birds and bats and whose spores can cause a flu-like illness when inhaled, but the man told doctors he had never been in contact with those animals or recently traveled outside Florida.

However, H. capsulatum can also contaminate soil and survive underground for years.

Case report Said“The fungus needs suitable conditions to grow, typically in areas with a lot of bird or bat droppings, or under chicken coops.”

The man had to undergo heart surgery to repair damaged organs and was prescribed medication via intravenous drip for two weeks.

However, after the operation, he developed complications and was hospitalized in intensive care for six days.

He experienced anemia due to blood loss and declining kidney function due to cellular damage in the organs.

After recovering, the man was sent home to undergo “long-term” anti-fungal treatment.

Subsequent examinations showed that the symptoms had subsided and the levels of histoplasmosis in the blood had decreased.

Because histoplasmosis cases are not reportable events in some states, the exact incidence of infection is unknown.

However, in states where the fungus is reported, infection rates are typically around 1 to 2 cases per 100,000 people.

Following reports of the man’s illness, the Ministry of Health requested that soil samples be taken from the man’s farm, as “this remains the main source of infection”.

Results were not yet available when the case report was published last month.