What is Blastomycosis? Details explored after a Michigan chef dies of the rare fungal disease

Blastomycosis, a rare fungal infection, was the reason a Michigan man named Ian Pritchard passed away last week. The disease ravaged his lungs for months, amid signs the strain is growing across the US.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Blastomycosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Blastomyces. Humans can contract the disease after breathing in the microscopic fungal spores from the air. Most people who breathe in the spores are either asymptotic or do not get sick. However, the infection can sometimes become fatal if it is not treated.

In Ian's case, he was admitted to the hospital after experiencing some flu symptoms during Thanksgiving but sadly died on Saturday, February 3, 2024, as per People.

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Michigan Chef, 29, Dies from a rare fungal infection called Blastomycosis

Ian Pritchard was initially hospitalized in Petosky a week after Thanksgiving last year, but his condition quickly deteriorated, and he was transported to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He stayed at the hospital from the end of November until his death on Saturday, February 3, due to Blastomycosis.

According to the CDC, the fungus lives in the midwestern, south-central, and southeastern states of The United States. It particularly manifests in areas surrounding the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and the Great Lakes. Ron Pritchard, Ian's father, told UpNorthLive in December:

"They showed us a picture of his lungs, and they literally looked like Swiss cheese. It’s in the air, it’s in the trees, it’s in the wet leaves, it’s in the ground, it’s in the mud, it’s in, everywhere. Everywhere in northern Michigan — in fact, the Midwest — is covered in [blastomyces]."

A GoFundMe page put together a donation profile and raised almost $20,000 for his family during his treatments. Ian's family stated that the infection impacted his lungs, which led to him being on life support, as per People. His recovery depended on two instances: either his lungs fully healed or he got a lung transplant once the infection was cleared.

However, his father, Ronald Pritchard, said that Ian was on an ECMO machine for weeks. The GoFundMe page wrote that the Michigan chef was taken off life support Saturday at the Henry Ford Hospital, as per CBS. Ronald gave the reason for taking him off the machine, saying:

"He was starting to get frail, and he just had enough ... He told us that he wanted to go home. I said 'Well, you have to clarify what you mean because we can't take these machines home. We have to unplug you from the machines, and if we do that, you'll pass away. You'll die.' And he shook his head that he knew, and we said 'Is that what you want?' and he shook his head."

According to the CDC, Blastomycosis spreads in people from their lungs to the central nervous system along with the skin and joints, especially when one has a weakened immune system.

According to health officials, studies found that between 4% and 22% of people with Blastomycosis die. According to The New York Post, Ronald talked about his son's passing to local media outlets. He said:

"He was a good kid. He didn’t get in very much trouble, he was no trouble to raise. People love his food, people love him."

Ian worked at a Mexican restaurant in Harbor Springs. The Pritchard family is still in shock over their sudden loss, as per CBS.