Ian Pritchard, Michigan Chef, 29, dies after catching rare fungal infection in his lungs. The once formally rare infection, ‘blastomycosis’ continues to spread across the United states.
A Michigan chef died after catching a rare fungal infection in his lungs according to reports.
Ian Pritchard, 29, of Petoskey, MI, succumbed to a fungal infection following a prolonged battle for his life.
Known for his culinary skills at a local restaurant, Pritchard’s health spiraled downwards following initial flu-like symptoms in November, leading to his hospitalization and eventual transfer to a specialized facility in Detroit for intensive care.
How does rare fungal infection spread?
Doctors diagnosed him with a rare and aggressive fungal infection called blastomycosis. Pritchard’s lungs bore the brunt of the disease. The fungus ‘ate holes in his lungs,’ according to his family, the dailymail reported.
Pritchard’s father, Ron, likened the damage to ‘Swiss cheese,’ highlighting the severity of the infection that led to his son’s critical state, UpNorthLive reported. The fungus responsible, blastomyces, thrives in moist environments like soil and decaying wood and decomposing matter. It was prevalent in the Midwest, where Pritchard enjoyed outdoor activities.
‘It’s in the air, it’s in the trees, it’s in the wet leaves, it’s in the ground, it’s in the mud, it’s in, everywhere. Everywhere in northern Michigan — in fact, the Midwest — is covered in [blastomyces],’ Pritchard warned.
The infection can only be caught when breathing the fungal spores and can not be spread from person to person.
Despite the efforts of medical professionals and the administration of anti-fungal treatments such as Itraconazole and Amphotericin B, the infection proved resistant, dashing hopes for a potential lung transplant and ravaging his lungs beyond repair.
Increasing cases of blastomycosis making its way across the U.S
Pritchard’s family said he chose to cease being on life support.
Pritchard said his son’s medications cost about $7,000 monthly.
‘He was a good kid. He didn’t get in very much trouble, he was no trouble to raise,’ the dad said. ‘People love his food, people love him.’
The rise in blastomycosis cases in the U.S., particularly in the Midwest, is alarming. Inconsistent reporting across states is obscuring the disease’s true impact, according to the Daily Mail. The rarity of the infection, coupled with its severe consequences, underscores the urgent need for awareness and research to combat this fungal threat effectively the outlet reported.
In people with weakened immune systems, the infection will spread from the lungs to the central nervous system along with the skin and joints, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The infection typically develops within two to 15 weeks. About half of patients will suffer symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and muscle aches.
Research from 2005 found that between 4% and 22% of infected people die from blastomycosis.
