Two men in Rochester, N.Y., died after contracting a rare fungal infection from exposure to bat feces used as fertilizer. Researchers published the cases in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
The men, aged 64 and 59, developed histoplasmosis, a form of pneumonia caused by inhaling spores of Histoplasma capsulatum fungus found in bat guano. They had both used or planned to use bat feces as fertilizer for their homegrown cannabis plants.
Symptoms included chest pain, body aches, fever, and coughing, typically developing within 3-17 days after exposure. While not everyone exposed gets sick, those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk.
Historically, histoplasmosis cases have been linked to the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys, where up to 90% of residents are exposed to the fungus in their lifetime. The death rate for hospitalized patients ranges from 5-7%.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/nyregion/bat-poop-cannabis-deaths-ny.html