A study led by UW School of Medicine and Public Health researchers Bruce Klein and Caitlin Pepperell and funded in part by the Wisconsin Partnership Program has identified a specific genetic vulnerability among Hmong people that renders them more susceptible to the disease-causing fungus, Blastomyces dermatitidis. The fungus, found naturally in wet soil and in decomposing wood throughout the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi Valley, can cause flu-like illness and in severe cases, death. Wisconsin has the highest incidence of the disease in the U.S. and outbreaks ranging up to 100 cases periodically occur in the state. Understanding the vulnerabilities of certain populations can help physicians make better-informed and more timely decisions about treatment for patients.
