Wisconsin River bed poses health risksWausau Daily Herald
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080815/WDH0101/808150468/1981/WDHbusinessPeople venturing onto into the muck of the Wisconsin River this weekend to search for items or clean debris could find themselves with something else -- blastomycosis.
Blastomycosis is a fungal disease caused by spores that are inhaled when people dig or even walk in the muck, said Faye Tetzloff, health officer with Portage County.
"It's kind of a slow disease," she said. "It can be a very serious illness."
Blastomycosis presents itself as a respiratory illness with flu-like symptoms, she said, including fever, chills, muscle aches and a productive cough. These coughs can become chronic and symptoms occur three to 15 weeks after exposure.
The disease can progress to the point where people end up in the ICU with ventilators and the disease can also become systemic.
Portage County Sheriff John Charewicz said everyone at the river drawdown is going to be exposed to blastomycosis spores.
Tetzloff said the disease can also be difficult to diagnose, with health officials often taking time to rule other illnesses out before determining whether it is blastomycosis.
There is no way to test the area for the disease, Tetzloff said, and noted that humans aren't the only ones susceptible to it.
"Dogs sometimes can be the canary in the mines," Tetzloff said. "Dogs are very susceptible to it."
She added that cases of blastomycosis have been identified in dogs near sections of the Plover River.
Portage County reported one case of blastomycosis in 2007 and three cases the year before. No cases have yet to be reported in 2008.
Rivers can be breeding grounds for this disease, Tetzloff said.
"That's why we would potentially have concerns about the river drawdown," she said. "People just need to stay off of it."
