New York City– Two men from New York City passed away due to pneumonia linked to bat poop used in cannabis cultivation.
The men, aged 59 and 64, experienced symptoms such as a persistent cough, fever, blood poisoning, and respiratory failure.
Residents of Rochester passed away due to pneumonia linked to a harmful fungus called Histoplasma Capsulatum, which was released from bat droppings, also referred to as guano, as reported by Live Science.
During fertilization, the men inhaled harmful fungus spores and later developed histoplasmosis, a lung infection.
According to Oxford Academic, the symptoms reported were chronic cough, fever, blood poisoning, and respiratory failure. A medical journal published on Dec. 4 reported that two men, aged 59 and 64, were hospitalized and treated with antifungal medication, but unfortunately, they later succumbed to the infections.
One man purchased the guano online, while the other discovered the droppings in his attic after noticing a significant bat infestation.
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Bat guano is favored by many cannabis growers for its rich content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as reported by the Cannabis Business Times.
The situation underscores the need to inform people about the risks of using bat guano as fertilizer.
“Given the recent legalization and an expected increase in home cultivation of cannabis, along with the promotion of bat guano for this purpose, it is important to raise public awareness about the potential risk of using bat guano as fertilizer,” the outlet warned.
The publication highlighted the risks associated with various articles labeling guano as a “natural superfood” for cannabis fertilization.