HISTOPLASMIN SENSITIVITY AMONG A STUDENT POPULATION IN CREMA, PO VALLEY, ITALY

Histoplasmin skin tests were conducted on a student population in Crem a, Po Valley, Italy. In this geographical area two autochtonal cases o f disseminated histoplasmosis occurred in HIV-negative men. In the las t year we tested 776 senior high school students, mean age 18 years, 3 35 males and 441 females. Histoplasmin skin sensitivity was 1.23%, wit h a mean area of induration of 5.78 mm. All subjects but one had never been abroad. This preliminary survey confirms the possibility of auto chtonal histoplasmal infection in the Po Valley, Italy.