A rare fungal disease has left one person dead and dozens ill in Tennessee, as health officials work to contain the outbreak. At least 35 people in Maury and Williamson counties have been diagnosed with histoplasmosis, caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.
The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed the outbreak in December 2025, initially reporting 18 cases since September. The number has since risen. One death has been reported; Amity Brown told The New York Times that her sister Alyssia died from the infection. Alyssia may have been infected while driving through areas with construction and excavation, which can stir up soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings.
Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, dry cough, chest pain and tiredness. Alyssia's symptoms began with a mild cough after moving into a new house in October. Her mother Gwendolyn recognised the symptoms after reading a list aloud, and Alyssia confirmed she had all of them. Despite being taken to hospital and treated for bronchitis, her condition worsened. She died on December 15, two days after being tested for histoplasmosis; the positive result came back on December 18. The family awaits an autopsy to confirm the cause of death.
There is no vaccine for histoplasmosis, and diagnosis can be delayed because symptoms mimic other illnesses. Most cases are not fatal, but people with compromised immune systems are at higher risk. Dr Zaid Fadul of Bespoke Concierge MD advised those working outdoors in dusty conditions to wear masks to limit inhalation of spores.
