Everything to know about the rare fungal infection linked to 1 death, dozens of infections in Michigan wjol.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wjol.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Weeks after the first cases in a blastomycosis outbreak were discovered in the Upper Peninsula, Public Health of Delta & Menominee Counties confirmed one person has died from the fungal infection.
KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images(MICHIGAN) Nearly 100 probable cases of a rare fungal infection, including one fatal, have been linked to a Michigan paper mill.
Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties (PHDM) said 21 cases of blastomycosis have been confirmed while another 76 are suspected. All cases are in employees, contractors or visitors of the Escanaba Billerud Paper Mill on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Amid the outbreak, 12 people have been hospitalized and one person a contractor who worked at the mill has died due to blastomycosis, health officials said.
The department was notified about the first cases on Feb. 28 among workers with the mill.
"The health and safety of our Escanaba employees is our first priority," Brian Peterson, vice president of operation at the mill, said in a statement. "Although the source of the infection has not been established, we continue to take this matter very seriously and are following recommendations f
KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/ Getty Images(NEW YORK) Nearly 100 cases of a rare, fungal infection have been linked to a Michigan paper mill.
Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties (PHDM) said 19 cases of blastomycosis have been confirmed while another 74 are suspected.
The department was notified about the first cases on Feb. 28 among workers with Escanaba Billerud Paper Mill on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
"The health and safety of our Escanaba employees is our first priority," Brian Peterson, vice president of operation at the mill, said in a statement. "Although the source of the infection has not been established, we continue to take this matter very seriously and are following recommendations from health and government officials."
Public Health Officer Michael Snyder told ABC News the health department sees a few cases of the infection every year but rarely an outbreak of this magnitude.
Here s what you need to know about blastomycosis and ho