Abstract

SEROLOGICAL TESTS RELEVANT FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF ACUTE PRIMARY PULMONARY HISTOPLASMOSIS: OUTBREAK IN CANDELAS, COAHUILA, MEXICO

Cudberto Contreras-Pérez, Antonio Meza-Lucas, Jesús Abraham Meza-González,

Abstract

An outbreak of acute primary pulmonary histoplasmosis is reported to have occurred in 2024 in an old mine in the State of Coahuila, Mexico. Ten patients with respiratory symptoms of varying intensity were studied. The incubation period in 7 of the patients was between 7 and 9 days. In the remaining 3 patients, the incubation period was between 15 and 22 days. The predominant symptoms were fever, headache, and dry cough; less frequently, dyspnea, chest pain, and macular rash on the lower limbs. The diagnosis was established using two serological tests: 1) Test for the determination of anti-histoplasma antibodies, IgM (Precipitation Tube Test) and 2) ELISA test, IgG (indirect ELISA). The combination of these two tests allowed the detection of a total of 7 positive patients, 6 for IgM antibodies and 1 for IgG antibodies. The combined sensitivity of the two tests was 70 %. Five of the patients were treated with 100 mg of itraconazole every 12 hours for 3 months with excellent response to the antifungal.

Keywords: Histoplasmosis, Acute Primary Pulmonary Histoplasmosis, Tube Precipitation Test. ELISA Test, Itraconazol.