NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nearly two dozen people in middle Tennessee have gotten seriously sick from a fungus commonly found in the region, and health officials want to make sure families have the information they need to stay safe.
The state is investigating a curious rise in histoplasmosis cases in Maury and Williamson counties. Health experts say most people in Tennessee have actually already had histoplasmosis and never realized it, but one mother's story shows why this outbreak has everyone's attention — she says it nearly took her son from her.
Amy O'Neal has been sleeping in a recliner next to her son's hospital bed for weeks. What started as a fever nearly cost 24-year-old Liam his life.
"You have to be strong for him," O'Neal said. "He is a fighter."
In mid-October, Liam tested negative for COVID-19, flu and RSV, but over the next couple of weeks his health quickly declined. As a Type 1 diabetic, doctors ran all sorts of tests before eventually testing positive for histoplasmosis.
"The doctors when we got here to Saint Thomas said he shouldn't make it. He won't make it. He's so sick. He is so, so sick," O'Neal said. "There's a good chance he's not gonna make it."
Liam was in organ failure, having seizures and went into cardiac arrest. After intensive care and several life-saving measures, he is now doing better. But O'Neal wonders what might have been different.
"I believe had he been tested earlier, he may not have gotten as severe as he did," O'Neal said.
Liam's case is one of several the state health department is investigating in Williamson and Maury counties to determine what's driving the rise in cases.
"We're trying to talk with people who have been impacted and determine if there might be a common source that is exposing people to this fungus at higher levels for some reason," a health department official said.
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection caused by breathing in spores commonly found in soil and is common in Middle Tennessee. Most people in Tennessee have had it, never knew it and never got sick.
"Everyone's like, it's so common in Tennessee. Well great. Why aren't we testing for it?" O'Neal said.
O'Neal says her son is a fighter and will learn how to walk, eat and drink again.
"I really didn't want to get emotional, but those ICU nurses got us through the toughest days of our lives. They're our heroes," O'Neal said.
She wants to make sure other families don't have to go through the same experience.
"I think that's the hardest thing of knowing we could have lost our son because of not a common test they do," O'Neal said.
"We were told if he doesn't go on ECMO he is going to die," O'Neal said about the critical point in her son's treatment.
After an abnormal rise of histoplasmosis cases in Williamson and Maury counties, Liam's diagnosis is one of about 20 the state health department is looking into.
"The thought of losing your child to something that could've been tested for as a normal test," O'Neal said. "If you're gonna test for hepatitis, why not test for histo? That's the hardest thing, knowing that at some point we could've lost our son."
"We're continuing to investigate. We're in the thick of our investigation," health officials said.
O'Neal lives in an area of Williamson County where there is a lot of construction and turned dirt. The state health department says construction is a factor they're investigating, though their investigation isn't complete.
While the state investigates, O'Neal hopes other families learn from what they went through so they can better advocate for their health.
Symptoms may look like a cough, fever, shortness of breath and chest pain. If the symptoms last longer than a few days, it's recommended to check in with your primary care provider. O'Neal hopes families in these situations will ask to test for histoplasmosis.
If you have thoughts on this story email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
