MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says the number of blastomycosis cases connected with an area river continues to rise.
According to DHS, there are now 29 confirmed and 29 suspected cases of blastomycosis, as of Tuesday.
Officials say anyone who visited the Little Wolf River in Waupaca County since Memorial Day weekend may have been exposed.
Those who experience a cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain or chest pain should visit their health care provider. Symptoms usually take between 2 and 15 weeks to develop.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, blastomycosis lives in soil and decaying organic matter, like leaves and wood. When the soil is disturbed, the fungal spores become airborne. Breathing in those spores can cause people to become ill.
