Symptoms: For otherwise healthy people, histo may not cause any illness at all, or at most may look like a mild respiratory disease, with fever, cough, chest pain and fatigue. In more severe cases, histo may cause pneumonia and enlargement of the lymph glands in the lungs.

Severity of infection depends on how many spores the person inhaled and whether or not the person infected is already ill with a previous condition.

For example, in patients with emphysema, histo can cause chronic lung infection, with a phlegm-producing cough, chest pain, weight loss, night sweats and fatigue (similar to symptoms of tuberculosis).

Histo also can cause inflammation of the lining around the heart, a condition called pericarditis. Symptoms are still flu-like, but last longer.

In patients with impaired immune systems, histo may cause a more severe disease, which can spread to other parts of the body, such as the bone marrow (causing anemia). These are the patients that could die if not diagnosed and treated.

To eliminate a bird or bat roost, persons can contact the Mississippi Office of the United States Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Service (USDA-WS), located in Starkville at 662-325-3014. The agency can offer guidance or conduct abatement projects.