Histoplasmosis: Bats, Birds, and Budding Yeast | This Podcast Will Kill You 210

Once thought to be a rare, always fatal disease, histoplasmosis is now recognized as one of the most prevalent fungal infections in North America. It infects hundreds of thousands of people every year, and its distribution is growing. In this episode, we dissect this abundant fungus, examining how it makes us sick, who tends to get sick, and what we can do about it. We also take you through the history of this fungus, a story that features a surprise discovery, more evidence that everything is tuberculosis, and a spotlight on an extinct bird. Curious to know how all the pieces fit together? Tune in for the full picture. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu Erin Welsh, Ph.D. is a co-host of the This Podcast Will Kill You. She is a disease ecologist and epidemiologist and works full-time as a science communicator through her work on the podcast. Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, Ph.D. is a co-host of This Podcast Will Kill You. She is an epidemiologist, disease ecologist and board certified Family Medicine physician. Video Editor: Mark Schroeder Listen to This Podcast Will Kill You: On iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-t... On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cujpkz... This podcast might not actually kill you, but it covers so many things that can. Each episode tackles a different disease, from its history, to its biology, and finally, how scared you need to be. Ecologists and epidemiologists Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke make infectious diseases acceptable fodder for dinner party conversation and provide the perfect cocktail recipe to match. Follow This Podcast Will Kill You on Instagram:   / thispodcastwillkillyou   Follow This Podcast Will Kill You on TikTok:   / thispodcastwillkillyou   Also subscribe to the Exactly Right channel!    / exactlyrightmedia   Exactly Right makes podcasts for fans of true crime, comedy and pop culture. Created by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the hit podcast My Favorite Murder. Follow Exactly Right on Instagram:   / exactlyright   Follow Exactly Right on Facebook:   / exactlyrightmedia   Follow all Exactly Right podcasts: https://www.exactlyrightmedia.com