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Viruses, Pathogens, and Other Contaminants
Published in James N. Seiber, Thomas M. Cahill, Pesticides, Organic Contaminants, and Pathogens in Air, 2022
James N. Seiber, Thomas M. Cahill
Coronaviruses are one of many classes of diseases that can be transmitted through air. For example, coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection caused by inhaling the spores of either Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii fungi. These spores are endemic to the soils of the American Southwest and can get into the air when the soil is disturbed—for example, via wind, construction, gardening, or farming (American Thoracic Society, 2011). Like coronaviruses, the severity of the infection is largely dependent on the degree of exposure to the spores, along with the health of the victim’s immune system. A severe infection can lead to “Valley Fever,” a dangerous and sometimes fatal disease (as one of the authors experienced firsthand while a graduate student at Arizona State University and Utah State University). Another disease that can be transmitted through air is Legionnaires’ disease—a severe form of pneumonia. Caused by the legionella bacterium, Legionnaires’ disease comes from inhaling the bacteria from water or soil (Mayo Clinic, 2019). As suspected with COVID-19, the degree of exposure is correlated with the severity of the illness. In the summer months, malfunctioning air conditioning equipment can be a breeding ground for the bacteria and lead to prolonged exposure in hotels in the Southwest—much as air conditioning appears to be a mechanism for contaminating an airspace with coronaviruses.
A point-source outbreak of Coccidioidomycosis among a highway construction crew
Published in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2018
Coccidioides immitis (hereafter termed Cocci) is a soil fungus endemic in certain areas of California. The fungus can grow directly in soil but is also associated with rodents burrows.[1,2] A related fungal species Coccidioides posadasii is endemic in areas of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.[3] When soil containing the fungus is disturbed, as during earth-moving activities, respirable Cocci spores can become airborne and be inhaled by persons in the vicinity; these spores are often termed arthrospores or arthroconidia. Inhalation leads to an infection termed Coccidioidomycosis that is usually limited to the respiratory tract, although the fungus can disseminate from the lungs into other tissues. In California, Cocci is most prevalent in the San Joaquin Valley, and the illness is commonly termed Valley Fever. Overall, 60% of infected persons are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection.[4] In the remaining 40%, a lower respiratory tract infection develops with more severe symptoms, such as fever, cough, weakness and difficulty in breathing. Acute localized infection usually resolves without medical therapy but may last for several weeks; if pneumonia is diagnosed, an anti-fungal drug is prescribed.[4,5] In less than 1% of people with Caucasian ancestry, the fungus disseminates outside the lungs and can cause meningitis and infections of bones, joints, skin, and soft tissue; this percentage is higher for persons with African or Filipino ancestry and for people who are immunosuppressed.[5]