BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL APPROACHES OF HISTOPLASMOSIS IN THE STATE OF GUERRERO, MEXICO

Histoplasmosis is a deep mycosis with a high prevalence in America. It s aetiological agent, Histoplasma capsulatum, is found in Mexico, main ly in confined spaces, where it grows on bat guano or bird droppings. A research project has been developed in the State of Guerrero, Mexico , where many contaminated caves and mines are visited by individuals a nd epidemic outbreaks have been recorded. Data concerning human skin t est response to histoplasmin antigen, host genetic predisposition to H istoplasma infection, sociocultural, socioeconomical and ethnobiologic al aspects of the disease in Guerrero are summarized in this paper.