Health Care

Fatal lung disease found in Vermont

Blastomycosis fungus typically found along great inland waterways

by Guy Page 

A new study by the CDC and the VT Dept. of Health has found evidence of a sometimes fatal fungal lung disease afflicting Vermonters, most often in the north-central part of the state. 

The disease is called blastomycosis. More often than not it requires hospitalization and has a death rate of 4-22%. Between 2011-2020 it affected about two patients for every 100,000 Vermonters – about 12 people per year.

The study, “Using Insurance Claims Data to Estimate Blastomycosis Incidence, Vermont, USA, 2011–2020,” was published online in a February, 2024 CDC publication and authored by researchers affiliated with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Vermont Department of Health. 

“The epidemiology of blastomycosis in Vermont, USA, is poorly understood. Using insurance claims data, we estimated the mean annual blastomycosis incidence was 1.8 patients/100,000 persons during 2011–2020. Incidence and disease severity were highest in north-central counties,” the study reported. 

The landlocked location is puzzling because blastomycosis is typically found along the nation’s great inland waterways: Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, Great Lakes, and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Only five states – none in the northeast – monitor for blastomycosis.

“Blastomycosis is a rare but potentially fatal fungal disease caused by Blastomyces spp., a group of thermally dimorphic environmental mycoses found in moist soil and decaying organic matter. Human illness most often results in pulmonary conditions but can involve any organ system,” the study reports. 

Clinical manifestations range from subclinical infection to life-threatening disease. Associated illness and death rates are high; among symptomatic persons, hospitalization rates are 57%–69% and death rates 4%–22%. It is treated with antifungal medications such as itraconazole.

The study data was retrieved from the Vermont Health Care Uniform Reporting and Evaluation System (VHCURES), an all-payer health insurance claims database managed by the Green Mountain Care Board. VHCURES includes insurance claims data from medical, dental, and pharmacy encounters for all Medicare and Medicaid recipients and about 75% of Vermont residents with commercial insurance.


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Categories: Health Care

23 replies »

  1. We are surrounded by potential pathogens. The solution is not to monitor for all of these things, that is a WEF/WHO/alphabet agency/DOD nexus activity whose purpose is to remove people from the countryside and into the panopticon of 15 minute cities. The solution to pathogens is relatively simple, and one only has to look at the beginning of the 20th century to discover that the greatest successes in public health come from good sanitation and hygiene especially concerning water. Part of that hygiene is proper water and moisture management in homes and buildings, and there are many good solutions out there. The other effort which is one that must be done on the personal level is good personal hygiene in your home without the use of harmful cleaning agents ( try vinegar folks ), and then a wholesome diet free of agriculture chemicals and most pharmaceuticals as many of these disrupt the immune system, ( blood, gut biome etc. ), and also includes exercise and for the mind, the avoidance of main stream media. So while a few cases of blastomycosis were found, one must ask what were the circumstance and environmental and health status characteristics of the people who succumbed to infection by this fungus. The solution isn’t some expensive monitoring program.

    • Well said.
      I will add, from personal experience, most people who succumb to fungal infections, especially those of the lungs, are lacking a few of the minerals the body uses to prevent them, namely Zinc, Copper and Potassium. Vermont’s soils known to be Potassium deficient and Potassium being critical to lung function overall is a key thing but Zinc & Copper are about as important to your health and natually anti-fungal as can be & most people are deficient.
      Fungi are pervasive in our environment, absolutely everywhere. Either your body is capable of preventing them becoming an issue or it’s not. The amount found here, there or anywhere has virtually nothing to do with anything.
      If they want to monitor levels of toxins in our soil, how about starting with the heavy metals and other poisons they’re spraying from the airplanes…

  2. Hi Guy.
    Thanks for contacting me in regard to the accusations that I am a bot.
    I live and breathe, baby.
    Your implication that if I didn’t give you my name I would be blocked smacks of censorship.
    During the Third Reich, the Gestapo also wanted people to name names.
    I thought you conservatives were all about freedom.
    Apparently not.

    Your friend,
    Bill

    • Censorship is precisely what your leftist affiliates are all about. Why not attempt to participate in commentary on your biased, leftist propagandized sites each day such as Vermont Digger, Bennington Banner, Seven Days, CNN, MSNBC, etc.? Oh, that’s right….they long ago abolished commentary in order to silence those who provided alternate, factual, and accurate context/content – that’s why.

      You apparently refuse, despite VDC’s unique opportunity for freedom of speech as opposed to your party’s media censorship stronghold, to adhere by the rules/regulations for comment wherein it is specifically preferred that actual names are used. And you are perhaps being required to do so as your comments are overall incendiary & off topic – even when addressing the publisher of this site in your usual disrespectful & childish manner.

      Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, and the primary reason you are on VDC is because it has, until this point, attempted to tolerate your folly and sophomoric disruptions.

      Please be well aware that the vast majority of posters reside in VT or had once long resided in Vermont before being forced to flee as a result of the unconstitutional, Communistic, amoral, and discriminatory actions being taken by a rogue legislature that no longer answers to the people as stipulated and demanded by law.

      Please be well aware that your oft idiotic and disordered attempts at sarcasm only reinforce their determination to challenge and conquer the leftist’s attempted occupation & takeover of Vermont culture and this Constitutional Republic.

    • Thank you Kathleen! Unfortunately, I’m only allowed to hit the star/like button for your comment once or I’d be pounding way on it.

    • Guy should be very proud to be in the company of greats like Elon Musk and Chris Best, one of the founders of Substack, both unabashed supporters of the First Amendment. His creation of the VDC, with factual journalism that includes a conservative viewpoint, is something that has been missing in Vermont for many years. It’s an excellent alternative to the other predominantly left leaning publications. The VDC has proven to be a free speech haven, open to anyone who wants to discuss the issues presented in the articles, and a space for like minded people to meet up.

      Until very recently, the comment section has been thoughtful, respectful, enlightening, healthy and on point. However, a disrespectful guest with a blatant misunderstanding of the right and responsibility of free speech has intruded. What I will say is that anyone who espouses violence, like his suggestion to commit a Gestapo style execution of migrants at the southern border, should not only be ashamed of himself, he should be watching his back since, no doubt, the FBI and Homeland Security monitor what is being written here. Clean up your act, bud, and get right with God.

    • If you feed trolls they get bigger, then they run for public office. Please don’t feed the troll. End of public service announcement.

    • Hi Bill.
      He who lives in glass house should not cast stones.
      Some friendly wisdom.
      William Olenick (My real name)

  3. “Vermont Health Care Uniform Reporting and Evaluation System (VHCURES), an all-payer health insurance claims database managed by the Green Mountain Care Board.” The name, the acronym and the players sends chills down the spine. Suddenly, a lung disease discovered after several hundred years of habitation along water ways and agriculture all along Lake Champlain. Remember: the cure is safe and effective!

    • The cure is to eliminate manure spreading in Vermont.
      The state is starting to look like an open sewer.

    • Do you compost your own terds? Otherwise that’s your sewage too in the rivers after a flood or just heavy rain, septic tank users included as that gets dumped into sewage treatment too (which floods too). Or, you poo fairy dust and unicorn sprinkles? Cow manure when mixed with sawdust and/or hay and composted then spread is entirely beneficial and a basis for biodynamic and organic farming. This is what we did on a medium-sized, commercial dairy farm I worked for. If you really care about making things better, go shovel some dung and bug off of here.

    • Ms Casey,
      I agree that there are no good things that come out of bureaucracy, but this report states it is not found “all along Lake Champlain”. The article states it is predominately found in landlocked north central part of the state. And we don’t know how “sudden” this is. Remember we called TB (and I would add Lung Cancer) “consumption” for a very long time. This may have been going on for a long time and no one discovered it because no one looked or tested for it. And it may be related to a particular set of circumstances or a product or a gene. We don’t have enough information. Very curious indeed. Also, their data collection could be hogwash. There is much we don’t know.
      I will be interested if anyone spends any time or money investigating this as the mortality is “relatively” low and certainly the population affected is also very low. Meaning 12 people out of 645,000 citizens. No one will be making any money off of this.
      Respectfully,
      Pam Baker

    • The default excuse is blame the farmers. No mention of those who spray chemicals on their pristine lawns (Round Up is still on the shelves!), the weekly sky dusters, the water system “treatments”, and all the other chemicals leeching into water ways. What is that stuff GMP plasters on utility poles? It’s so safe, they have to send a “warning” out to residents. See the trash flung on the streets? Where does that end up, eventually? Vermont has to invent a new disease to cover up for the ones they are responsible for – long Covid isn’t cutting it? Ignorance is bliss in the Green Mountain State.

  4. Why do cultists wear their stupid trump swag to his rallies.
    It’s like they want the rest of the world to know they are morons.

  5. Actually, forensically speaking, this would take a bit of digging… if you will pardon my pun. Finding out all the victims and doing a thorough health history examination and recounting of the incidents that led to their illness would be the first step. From my experience, they all likely have a common denominator and if I were a betting person, I would say it is fertilizer. Just guessing, but an educated one. Would love to find out this answer someday. Now please don’t all go off halfcocked on my guess. It’s just a gut guess on my part.

    And regarding fear of a new disease. Seriously? Have we learned nothing from 2020-2023? My goodness. 12 people a year and a 4-22% mortality rate? Not enough data to get afraid. Unless of course, you like to be afraid. Which many people do enjoy.
    Have some perspective folks. Judicious perspective.

  6. i was not afraid of the scam demic/// covid kill shot/// people are still having heart attacks/// all of this has been proven now///

  7. tel//// lie//// vision/// is pushing the fungus story/// medical mafia promoting the same story/// i guess i had better hide under my bed again/// call me when i can come out///

  8. What are they spraying?

    Ahh the medical industry… cha ching cha ching cha ching…as humanity fades into what once was…and is no more…