Possibility of C. immitis Infection of Museum Personnel

Abstract

three members of an excavation team digging for fossil vertebrate remains near Maricopa, Calif., acquired acute coccidioidomycosis. The team was organized under the direction of the department of paleontology of 'the Los Angeles County Museum. At that time a question was raised concerning the possibility of fomite transmission of coccidioidomycosis by fossils brought to the museum from the excavation site. All specimens brought from Maricopa after November 1966 were fumigated with methyl bromide gas, a standard procedure to prevent the introduction of insect pests into the museum. The specimens were exposed to methyl bromide (1.85 x 10-3 lbs./ft.3) for 24 to 48 hours, but subsequent inquiry revealed that the ability of gas to sterilize them was unknown. The purposes of this investigation were to (a) isolate Coccidioides immitis from the soil at the excavation site, (b) study the possibility of fomite transmission of coccidioidomycosis to museum personnel, (c) evaluate the antimicrobial effect of the methyl bromide fumigation procedure, and (d) make recommendations based on the results of the investigation.