SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Spring Hill woman’s family and best friend are speaking out after they say she died during a histoplasmosis cluster in Middle Tennessee, which is raising concerns about delayed testing and treatment.
The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) has confirmed to FOX 17 News that it has identified 35 cases of histoplasmosis in Williamson and Maury counties as part of its investigation. TDH said a clear source of exposure has not been identified, which the department noted is not uncommon with histoplasmosis.
Histoplasmosis is a lung infection caused by a fungus that can be found in soil. Symptoms can resemble pneumonia or other respiratory illnesses, including cough, chest pain, fever, chills, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
Alyssia Brown, of Spring Hill, Tennessee, pictured her alongside her roommate Kimberly Shelton and Shelton’s kid, died Monday, Dec. 15, her family says. They say histoplasmosis test results came back Thursday, Dec. 18, indicating, she was positive. (Photo courtesy Kimberly Shelton)
The family of Alyssia Brown, who lived in Spring Hill with her roommate, says Brown developed a cough shortly after moving into the home in October. Her roommate and best friend, Kimberly Shelton, told FOX 17 News the cough lasted for weeks and did not seem alarming at first.
“After we moved into this house in like October, she started developing a little bit of a cough, it really didn’t seem like very much, it was just a cough that lasted for a long time,” Shelton said.
Brown’s mother, Gwendolyn Brown, said she recognized the symptoms after seeing information about the histoplasmosis cluster online and reading it to her daughter.
“She goes, ‘Mom, that’s literally every single symptom that I have,’” Gwendolyn Brown said.
The family says Alyssia Brown went to the emergency room on Dec. 8 and was treated for bronchitis. They also say she was prescribed prednisone, a steroid medication, and they believe her condition worsened afterward.
Shelton says when they returned for care a few days later, she repeatedly asked providers to test Brown for histoplasmosis after learning there was an alert about increased cases in the area.
“When we went in, they didn’t even want to test her. I had to tell them like, ‘there’s this thing going around, can you please just test her for it?’” Shelton said.
The family says a histoplasmosis test was ordered on Saturday, Dec. 13. Brown died Monday, Dec. 15, they said. The family and roommate say the test results came back Thursday, Dec. 18, indicating she was positive.
Shelton said the loss has been devastating, and she doesn’t want anyone else to experience the same situation.
“Having to live my life without my best friend is beyond stupid, and I don’t want anybody else to have to go through this,” Shelton said.
In response to FOX 17’s questions, TDH said it cannot confirm the cause of death of individuals and does not speculate on the procedures of private healthcare providers. TDH said it shared information about the histoplasmosis cluster with area healthcare providers in a Tennessee Health Alert Network message on Dec. 3, 2025, which included information about clinical presentation, provider recommendations, and a laboratory testing timeframe.
TDH also said histoplasmosis is commonly found throughout soil in Tennessee, making it challenging to prevent exposure completely. The department said people with weakened immune systems, or those exposed to a large amount of spores, face a higher risk of severe infection.
To reduce risk, TDH recommends avoiding outdoor activities that disturb soil and limiting contact with plant matter or bird and bat droppings. For higher-risk activities, such as cleaning chicken coops, exploring caves, or tearing down old buildings, TDH recommends wearing a protective N-95 mask.
Brown’s mother urged others to push for testing if they believe they may have been exposed.
“Ask for testing. Keep asking till you get it,” she said.
Brown’s family says they are still waiting on official autopsy results, but they hope sharing her story encourages others to take persistent symptoms seriously and seek medical care if symptoms worsen.