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Ohio River Valley fever
The main treatment for histoplasmosis is antifungal drugs. Amphotericin B, itraconazole, and ketoconazole are the usual treatments.
Antifungals may be given through a vein, depending on the form or stage of disease.
In some cases, long-term treatment with antifungal drugs may be needed.
What happens depends on the extent of the infection and the overall health of the individual. The death rate is fairly high for people with untreated widespread (disseminated) histoplasmosis, but is reduced significantly with treatment.
In addition, people who have a weakened immune system may develop disseminated disease, which can infect the meninges of the brain (causing meningitis).
Notify your health care provider if you live in an area where histoplasmosis is common, and you develop flu-like symptoms, chest pain, cough and shortness of breath. While there are many other illnesses that have similar symptoms, you may need to be tested for the possibility of histoplasmosis.
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