Two guys who were growing marijuana in Rochester, New York tragically died from histoplasmosis. histoplasmosis is a lung infection caused by inhaling spores from the Histoplasma capsulatum fungus, a fungus usually found in bat feces.
The men, ages 59 and 64, used bat guano, a.k.a. bat poop, as a fertilizer for their cannabis plants. Bat guano is rich in the nutrients that make plants grow like crazy, acting as a superfood for plant life.
The 59-year-old man had been battling emphysema and had been a long-time tobacco and marijuana smoker. He had been struggling to breathe for several months, shedding weight in the process. He was finally admitted to Strong Memorial Hospital where doctors discovered a mass on his larynx which they initially suspected to be cancer. After further evaluation, they determined that the lump was histoplasmosis. The doctors tried treating it, but the patient died soon thereafter.
The 64-year-old had lost 35 pounds in months and was having difficulty eating. He also had a long history of smoking tobacco and marijuana, with a little bit of alcohol use sprinkled on top. He previously had bypass surgery to redirect blood flow to his legs.
All that is to say that neither man was in tip-top shape when they introduced two different sources of bat guano into their lives. The 59-year-old man bought some bat guano online while the 64-year-old found the feces in his attic because he had a terrible bat infestation. One of those sources of poop was filled with Histoplasma capsulatum, which the men were breathing in for an undetermined amount of time.
Only around 1 percent of the people exposed to histoplasma capsulatum develop histoplasmosis. And even those who do develop it experience the symptoms to varying degrees. Only around 5 percent of those who contract the infection die. These two older men, with their long, troubled health histories, were not healthy enough to survive prolonged exposure.
The post 2 Men Dead After Fertilizing Weed Plants With Bat Poop appeared first on VICE.
The post 2 Men Dead After Fertilizing Weed Plants With Bat Poop appeared first on VICE.
