Using Insurance Claims Data to Estimate Blastomycosis Incidence, Vermont, USA, 2011-2020

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 372 - 375
• Main Authors: Borah, Brian F, Meddaugh, Paul, Fialkowski, Veronica, Kwit, Natalie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.02.2024; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Blastomyces; Blastomycosis; Blastomycosis - epidemiology; Care and treatment; Demographic aspects; Dispatch; Epidemics; Epidemiologic methods; Epidemiology; Females; fungi; Health surveillance; Hospitalization; Humans; Incidence; Infection; Infectious diseases; Insurance; Insurance claims; Medicaid; Medical laboratories; Medicare; Patient Acuity; Patients; Population; Public health; respiratory infections; Statistics; Using Insurance Claims Data to Estimate Blastomycosis Incidence, Vermont, USA, 2011–2020; Vermont - epidemiology; Vermont; United States; Mississippi; United States > US; Ireland; Louisiana; Minnesota; Arkansas; Wisconsin; Michigan; Vermont; Blastomyces; blastomycosis; United States; fungi; insurance claims; incidence; respiratory infections
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid3002.230825

The epidemiology of blastomycosis in Vermont, USA, is poorly understood. Using insurance claims data, we estimated the mean annual blastomycosis incidence was 1.8 patients/100,000 persons during 2011-2020. Incidence and disease severity were highest in north-central counties. Our findings highlight a need for improved clinical awareness and expanded surveillance.