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Volume 32, Number 3—March 2026

Dispatch

Emerging Endemic Area for Blastomycosis, New York, USA, 2000–2024

Laura E. RamirezComments to Author , Christian Kostowniak, Jessica Kumar, Sudha Chaturvedi, Ananthakrishnan Ramani, and Amit Chopra
Author affiliation: Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA (L.E. Ramirez, C. Kostowniak, J. Kumar, A. Ramani, A. Chopra); College of Integrated Health Sciences, State University of New York, Albany (J. Kumar); New York State Department of Health, Albany (J. Kumar); Wadsworth Center Mycology Laboratory, New York State Department of Health, Albany (S. Chaturvedi)

Main Article

Table 1

Demographic characteristics and underlying conditions for 54 patients with laboratory-confirmed blastomycosis reported in Albany, New York, USA, 2000–2024*

Characteristics
 Value
Mean age + SD, y 43 + 18
Median age, y (range)
 42 (4–78)
Sex
F 12 (22)
M
 42 (78)
Average BMI + SD 27 + 6
Median BMI (range)
 26 (16.9–39.7)
Race
Caucasian 37 (69)
African American 9 (17)
Asian 2 (4)
Other
 6 (11)
Underlying conditions
Chronic lung disease 10 (19)
Diabetes mellitus 9 (17)
Cardiovascular disease 4 (7)
Malignancy 4 (7)
Immunosuppression 2 (4)
Organ transplant 1 (2)
HIV 1 (2)
Kidney disease and failure 2 (4)
Pregnancy 1 (2)
None identified 31 (57)
Tobacco use 30 (55)
Marijuana use
 9 (15)
Preliminary diagnoses, n = 46
Community-acquired pneumonia 14 (30)
Malignancy 12 (26)
Skin and soft tissue infection 5 (11)
Osteomyelitis 4 (9)
Bacterial and viral infection 3 (7)
Tuberculosis 1 (2)
Blastomycosis 1 (2)
Other 6 (13)

*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. Categories are not mutually exclusive, so totals may sum to >100%.

Main Article

Page created: February 11, 2026
Page updated: March 20, 2026
Page reviewed: March 20, 2026
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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