Family likely infected with fungal disease after bat-filled cave tour: CDC

(NewsNation) — Twelve of 13 members of one family fell ill upon returning to the United States from a Costa Rica trip in late December. A bat-filled cave could be the culprit for the mystery sickness.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report published last week found confirmed or likely cases of histoplasmosis, a fungal infection primarily in the lungs and linked the group’s exposure to a bat-colonized cave the family visited on Dec. 24.

The group had toured the Venado Caves, a popular tourist destination previously linked to a histoplasmosis outbreak. Histoplasmosis is caused by organisms often found in contaminated soil.

“All reported seeing bats and having direct contact with bat droppings while crawling and squeezing through tight spaces in the cave,” the May 15 report said of the likely source of exposure.

The lone family member who did not get sick did not tour the cave. The report said, “No other activities reported before, during, or after the trip were associated with known risk for exposure to Histoplasma species.”

The infected individuals, including six adults and six children, returned to Georgia, Texas, and Washington on Dec. 28.

According to the CDC, symptoms typically appear three to 17 days after exposure and include fever, cough, fatigue, chills, headache, chest pain, and body aches. Histoplasmosis is similar to other lung infections, or pneumonias.

On Jan. 17, an infectious disease doctor in Georgia notified the CDC of suspected histoplasmosis cases. The CDC launched an investigation four days later.

The CDC warned, “Persons who have already visited Venado Caves might have been exposed to H. capsulatum, and exposure among visitors might be ongoing.”

The agency has been working with the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica and the Costa Rica Ministry of Health to include risks of contracting the disease in cave tour waiver forms. The site was also linked to a 51-person outbreak in 1998 and 1999.

The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica also issued a health alert to the public in March during its investigation.