APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Health officials in Outagamie County are investigating several cases of blastomycosis and a possible connection to people who swam or went tubing in the Wolf River.
Hannah Konetzke told FOX 11 that she’s been in the hospital for days after being diagnosed with the fungal disease. She believes it came from taking a river tubing trip.
“I was feeling fatigued and nauseous. They found spots on my lungs, did a CAT scan and found three golf ball-sized abscesses,” said Konetzke. “I met with a lung doctor and the first thing he asked me was if I went down the Wolf River.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blastomycosis comes from a fungus that lives in moist soil. People can become infected by inhaling the airborne fungal spores.
Outagamie County Health Department Nursing Supervisor Joe Ellen Biadasz says they’re looking into a cluster of blastomycosis cases.
“We don’t want to make an assumption,” said Biadasz. “It seems like the common thread may be the river tubing trip, but we won’t know that until we complete the investigation.”
Health officials recommend anyone showing symptoms to get checked out.
“We don’t want individuals to panic, we want everyone to use good prudent judgment,” Biadasz said. “When you’re out in the wilderness, there are many things you can come in contact with. It’s knowing if you become symptomatic that you reach out to your family health care provider.”
