Rare Fungal Infection Strikes Wisconsin, Killing One and Hospitalizing Two.

A rare fungal infection caused by Blastomyces killed one person and hospitalized two in Wisconsin last year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has alerted doctors in the Midwest and South to be alert for the infection. Blastomyces infects around 6,700 Americans and kills 60 each year. The fungus causes a lung infection that can spread to other areas of the body. Fungal infections are becoming a major threat to public health, according to the World Health Organization.