Symptoms:

Most people with acute pulmonary histoplasmosis have no or mild symptoms. The most common symptoms are:

• Chest pain
• Chills
• Cough
• Fever
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Muscle aches and stiffness
• Rash (usually small sores on the lower legs called erythema nodosum)
• Shortness of breath

In the very young, elderly, or people with a compromised immune system, symptoms may be more severe, including:

• Inflammation around the heart (called pericarditis)
• Serious lung infections
• Severe joint pain

Signs and tests:

To diagnose histoplasmosis, the doctor needs to find the fungus in the body, or evidence that your immune system is reacting to the fungus.

Tests include:

• Antibody tests for histoplasmosis (also called serologies)
• Biopsy of infection site
• Bronchoscopy (usually only done if symptoms are severe or you have an abnormal immune system)
• Complete blood count (CBC) with differential
• Chest CT scan
• Chest x-ray (might show a lung infection or pneumonia)
• Sputum culture (often not positive, even if you are infected)
• Urine Histoplasma capsulatum antigen (more useful in people with severe disease)