The federal Ministry of Health reported that in the second half of 2022, an outbreak of histoplasmosis was detected among tourists who visited a cenote located in the municipality of Homún, famous for having a large number of these bodies of water.
According to the National Epidemiological Bulletin, the federal department stated that the outbreak occurred between the months of July and August, due to five people who arrived at a hospital in Mérida with symptoms of this disease and a history of visiting the same cenote.
The Ministry of Health pointed out that histoplasmosis is considered a common fungal infection that affects local residents and tourists in specific regions of Mexico.
Although outbreaks are considered sporadic, they are of particular concern because they cause diseases that mainly affect the respiratory system.
The fungus that causes this disease thrives in special ecological niches that promote its growth and proliferation, where conditions of humidity, temperature, darkness, and nutrients found in bird droppings, such as bats, pigeons, grackles, and chickens, are present.
Yucatán is one of the states that has these environmental conditions and natural areas that favor the development of this fungus, which mainly finds its niche in caves, underground tunnels, bridges, closed cenotes, church domes, wells, construction areas, and abandoned houses.
Currently, due to the growth of tourism in cenotes and caves, this situation poses a public health problem, as it can cause infections in visitors who experience clinical symptoms days or even months after their exposure in these areas.
TYT Newsroom
