Last data update: Nov 04, 2024. (Total: 48056 publications since 2009)
Records 1-10 (of 10 Records) |
Query Trace: Williams SL[original query] |
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Associations between Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index scores, rurality, and histoplasmosis incidence, 8 US States
Smith DJ , Rajeev M , Boyd K , Benedict K , Hennessee I , Rothfeldt L , Austin C , Steppig ME , Patel D , Reik R , Ireland M , Sedivy J , Gibbons-Burgener S , Calanan RM , Williams SL , Rockhill S , Toda M . Emerg Infect Dis 2024 30 (10) 2016-2024 To explore associations between histoplasmosis and race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and rurality, we conducted an in-depth analysis of social determinants of health and histoplasmosis in 8 US states. Using the Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index (MH SVI), we analyzed county-level histoplasmosis incidence (cases/100,000 population) from the 8 states by applying generalized linear mixed hurdle models. We found that histoplasmosis incidence was higher in counties with limited healthcare infrastructure and access as measured by the MH SVI and in more rural counties. Other social determinants of health measured by the MH SVI tool either were not significantly or were inconsistently associated with histoplasmosis incidence. Increased awareness of histoplasmosis, more accessible diagnostic tests, and investment in rural health services could address histoplasmosis-related health disparities. |
Testing for blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, and histoplasmosis at a major commercial laboratory, United States, 2019-2024
Benedict K , Williams SL , Smith DJ , Lindsley MD , Lockhart SR , Toda M . Open Forum Infect Dis 2024 11 (8) ofae448 BACKGROUND: Blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, and histoplasmosis are environmentally acquired fungal diseases that clinically resemble bacterial and viral community-acquired pneumonia and require laboratory testing for diagnosis. Patients frequently present to primary care and experience diagnostic delays when a fungal etiology is not initially suspected. Current national-level public health surveillance for these diseases is limited and does not include laboratory data, so nationwide testing practices are unknown. METHODS: We identified laboratory tests for blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, and histoplasmosis ordered during 1 March 2019-29 February 2024 and performed within a major national commercial laboratory system. We analyzed test results, patient and healthcare provider features, reasons for testing, and temporal trends. RESULTS: Results included 5693 Blastomyces complement fixation tests (of those, 12% were positive), 71 858 immunodiffusion tests (0.1% positive), and 1186 serum enzyme immunoassay (EIA) tests (11% positive); 154 989 Coccidioides EIA immunoglobulin M results (5% positive) and 154 968 immunoglobulin G results (8% positive); and 46 346 Histoplasma complement fixation tests (30% positive), 49 062 immunodiffusion tests (1% positive), 35 506 serum EIA tests (4% positive), and 82 489 urine EIA tests (2% positive). Most histoplasmosis (58%-74%) and blastomycosis (42%-68%) tests were ordered from hospitals, whereas coccidioidomycosis tests were most frequently ordered by primary care providers (40%). A yearly average of 2727 positive tests were ordered by healthcare providers in states without public health surveillance for these diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, and histoplasmosis are likely underdetected in primary care settings or by public health surveillance. Increased testing by primary care providers and expanded surveillance are needed to reduce disease burden. |
Fungal infections and social determinants of health: Using data to identify disparities
Williams SL , Benedict K , Toda M . Curr Fungal Infect Rep 2024 18(2) 88-94 Purpose of Review: Fungal diseases disproportionately affect certain demographic populations, but few studies have thoroughly investigated the drivers of those disparities. We summarize data sources that can be considered to explore potential associations between fungal diseases and social determinants of health in the United States. Recent Findings: Sociodemographic disparities are apparent in fungal diseases, and social determinants of health (e.g., income, living conditions, and healthcare access) may be associated with increased risk of infection, severe disease, and poor health outcomes. Summary: Numerous data sources are available in the United States to analyze the potential association between fungal diseases and underlying social determinants of health. Each source has benefits and limitations that should be considered in the development of analysis plans. Inherent challenges to all fungal disease data (e.g., underdiagnosis, underreporting, and inability to detect people who do not seek medical care) should be noted and accounted for in interpretation of results. Copyright © This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply 2024. |
Effects of climate change on fungal infections
Williams SL , Toda M , Chiller T , Brunkard JM , Litvintseva AP . PLoS Pathog 2024 20 (5) e1012219 |
Surveillance for Coccidioidomycosis, Histoplasmosis, and Blastomycosis During the COVID-19 Pandemic - United States, 2019-2021
Williams SL , Smith DJ , Benedict K , Ahlers JR , Austin C , Birn R , Carter AM , Christophe NN , Cibulskas K , Cieslak PR , Gibbons-Burgener SN , Gosciminski M , Ireland MJ , Lazenby KV , Loftus T , Lunquest K , Mathewson AA , Nguyen AD , Oltean HN , Osborn B , Petro EM , Power DJ , Reik RR , Schlosser L , Sedivy J , Smelser CB , Chiller T , Toda M . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024 73 (11) 239-244 Coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis are lower respiratory tract fungal infections whose signs and symptoms can resemble those of other respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia caused by bacterial or viral etiologies; this overlap in clinical presentation might lead to missed or delayed diagnoses. The causative fungi live in the environment, often in soil or plant matter. To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of cases of coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis during the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC analyzed case surveillance data for 2019-2021. During this period, a total of 59,655 coccidioidomycosis cases, 3,595 histoplasmosis cases, and 719 blastomycosis cases were reported to CDC. In 2020, fewer cases of each disease occurred in spring compared with other seasons, and most cases occurred in fall; national seasonality is not typically observed, and cases were seasonally distributed more evenly in 2019 and 2021. Fewer cases coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with an unusually high blastomycosis case fatality rate in 2021 (17% compared with more typical rates of 8%-10%), suggest that the pandemic might have affected patients' health care-seeking behavior, public health reporting practices, or clinical management of these diseases. Increased awareness and education are needed to encourage health care providers to consider fungal diseases and to identify pneumonia of fungal etiology. Standardized diagnostic guidance and informational resources for fungal testing could be incorporated into broader respiratory disease awareness and preparedness efforts to improve early diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis. |
Notes from the field: Cluster of blastomycosis among neighborhood residents - St. Croix County, Wisconsin, 2022
Segaloff HE , Wu K , Shaw S , Klasen EM , Peterson L , Lindberg S , Williams SL , Wiese A , Bellay YM , Smith M , Engen K , Toda M , Gibbons-Burgener S . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023 72 (13) 348-349 Blastomycosis, caused by the fungus Blastomyces, is a rare but potentially serious infection in humans and animals. Blastomyces is endemic in Wisconsin, which reports the highest incidence of Blastomyces infection in the country, with an estimated annual statewide incidence of 2.1 cases per 100,000 residents. Some high-incidence counties report 20–40 cases per 100,000 population (1,2). Blastomyces is also found in other midwestern, south-central, and southeastern states, and lives in moist, organic soils and decaying wood and leaves. Infections typically occur when Blastomyces spores are inhaled. Blastomyces infections do not spread between humans and animals through the air. Blastomycosis usually begins with mild respiratory symptoms, which often self-resolve, but can progress to a severe, and occasionally fatal, disease without antifungal treatment. In February 2022, a veterinarian in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, alerted the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) of four dogs with diagnoses of blastomycosis, all living within a 1-mile area. Review of surveillance data identified two human cases reported in the same area within 3 weeks of the canine cases. With 1–5 human cases reported annually, St. Croix County is not considered an area with hyperendemic transmission. |
Update on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of coccidioidomycosis
Williams SL , Chiller T . J Fungi (Basel) 2022 8 (7) Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. The dimorphic fungi live in the soils of arid and semi‐arid regions of the western United States, as well as parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Incidence of disease has risen consistently in recent years, and the geographic distribution of Coccidioides spp. appears to be expanding beyond previously known areas of endemicity. Climate factors are predicted to further extend the range of environments suitable for the growth and dispersal of Coccidioides species. Most infections are asymptomatic, though a small proportion result in severe or life‐threatening forms of disease. Primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis is commonly mistaken for community‐acquired pneumonia, often leading to inappropriate antibacterial treatment and unnecessary healthcare costs. Diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis is challenging and often relies on clinician suspicion to pur-sue laboratory testing. Advancements in diagnostic tools and antifungal therapy developments seek to improve the early detection and effective management of infection. This review will highlight recent updates and summarize the current understanding of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of coccidioidomycosis. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. |
Occupational Histoplasmosis: Epidemiology and Prevention Measures
de Perio MA , Benedict K , Williams SL , Niemeier-Walsh C , Green BJ , Coffey C , Di Giuseppe M , Toda M , Park JH , Bailey RL , Nett RJ . J Fungi (Basel) 2021 7 (7) In areas where Histoplasma is endemic in the environment, occupations involving activities exposing workers to soil that contains bird or bat droppings may pose a risk for histoplasmosis. Occupational exposures are frequently implicated in histoplasmosis outbreaks. In this paper, we review the literature on occupationally acquired histoplasmosis. We describe the epidemiology, occupational risk factors, and prevention measures according to the hierarchy of controls. |
Recent Trends in the Epidemiology of Fungal Infections
Seagle EE , Williams SL , Chiller TM . Infect Dis Clin North Am 2021 35 (2) 237-260 The breadth of fungi causing human disease and the spectrum of clinical presentations associated with these infections has widened. Epidemiologic trends display dramatic shifts with expanding geographic ranges, identification of new at-risk groups, increasing prevalence of resistant infections, and emergence of novel multidrug-resistant pathogenic fungi. Certain fungi have been transmitted between patients in clinical settings. Major health events not typically associated with mycoses resulted in larger proportions of the population susceptible to secondary fungal infections. Many health care-related, environmental, and socioeconomic factors have influenced these epidemiologic shifts. This review summarizes updates to clinically significant fungal pathogens in North America. |
Creating a public health community of practice to support American Indian and Alaska Native communities in addressing chronic disease
Williams SL , Kaigler A , Armistad A , Espey DK , Struminger BB . Prev Chronic Dis 2019 16 E109 Across the lifespan, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people have higher rates of chronic disease, injury, and premature death than some racial/ethnic groups in the United States (1,2). For example, AI/AN adults have a higher prevalence of obesity, are twice as likely to have diabetes, and are more likely to be current smokers than their non-Hispanic white counterparts (3). Rates of death due to stroke and heart disease are also higher among AI/ANs than among members of some racial and ethnic groups (4,5). | | Recognizing AI/AN communities have their own cultural strategies for chronic disease prevention and control, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created the Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC) program to integrate the knowledge those communities possess into a coordinated approach to healthy living and chronic disease prevention. The program also sought to reinforce efforts in Indian Country to advance policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) improvements to make healthy choices easier for all community members. |
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