United States: A dozen kinfolk, bound by blood but scattered across Georgia, Texas, and Washington, ventured into the underbelly of Costa Rica seeking awe. What they unearthed was not treasure but torment.
During their December 21–28 escape, the extended family—six grownups between 42 and 49 and six young ones aged 8 to 16—stepped into the bowels of the Venado Caves, a site historically tainted by disease. They emerged carrying more than memories.
Unwelcome Souvenir: Histoplasmosis
Back on American soil, the aftermath surfaced. By mid-January 2025, a perceptive infectious disease expert in Georgia sounded the alarm to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Suspicions were rooted in a diagnosis with an ominous name—histoplasmosis.
Histoplasmosis, a lung-centered ailment birthed by inhaling spores of Histoplasma—a fungus nestled in soil graced by the droppings of birds or bats—has an insidious onset. In the family’s case, it mimicked graver foes. One adult’s chest scan evoked fears of malignancy.
