Positive skin reaction to histoplasmin was detected in 9.4 per cent and doubtful reaction in 13.8 per cent of 275 persons tested for histoplasmin skin sensitivity in West Bengal. Most of the histoplasmosis cases reported from India are from West Bengal. With isolation of Histoplasma capsulatum from local soil and positive reactors to histoplasmin in the local people, the endemicity of histoplasmosis in India is established.
Article Skin Sensitivity To Histoplasmin in Calcutta and Its Neighbourhood
Yes, according to the exposure time, amount of inhaled fungal propagules, it is important to emphasize that this is an endemic area that the agent was isolated from the environment. There is a note on preliminare inter-reaction of skin test sensitivity between histoplasmin and Chrisosporin in experimental animals. Fungus has in its composition of cell wall carbohydrates that can generate cross-reactivity, so the relevance of isolation of Histoplasma local soil demonstrated to be autochthonous.
Rosali! Your answer is illuminating and thought provoking. Species of Chrysosporium are present in the local soils in abundance as evidenced by isolating them by hair-bait technique. We isolated Histoplasma capsulatum by mouse inoculation and floatation technique but not by usual methods used in isolating soil fungi. Our sample size was too small to conclude the existence of H. capsulatum in soils of Gangetic plains. We studied and reported histoplasmosis cases attending Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine which are highest in Gangetic plains when compared to other parts of India. Future ecological and epidemiological studies may reveal the nature of the ICEBERG of the disease and the existence of the causal fungus in the local environment.
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