2025 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code B39

Histoplasmosis

ICD-10-CM Code:
B39
ICD-10 Code for:
Histoplasmosis
Is Billable?
Not Valid for Submission
Code Navigator:

B39 is a non-specific and non-billable diagnosis code code, consider using a code with a higher level of specificity for a diagnosis of histoplasmosis. The code is not specific and is NOT valid for the year 2025 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. Category or Header define the heading of a category of codes that may be further subdivided by the use of 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th characters.

Specific Coding Applicable to Histoplasmosis

Non-specific codes like B39 require more digits to indicate the appropriate level of specificity. Consider using any of the following ICD-10-CM codes with a higher level of specificity when coding for histoplasmosis:

  • Use B39.0 for Acute pulmonary histoplasmosis capsulati - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use B39.1 for Chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis capsulati - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use B39.2 for Pulmonary histoplasmosis capsulati, unspecified - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use B39.3 for Disseminated histoplasmosis capsulati - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use B39.4 for Histoplasmosis capsulati, unspecified - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use B39.5 for Histoplasmosis duboisii - BILLABLE CODE

  • Use B39.9 for Histoplasmosis, unspecified - BILLABLE CODE

Code Classification

Clinical Information

  • Histoplasmosis

    infection resulting from exposure to the fungus histoplasma.
  • Histoplasma

    a mitosporic onygenales fungal genus causing histoplasmosis in humans and animals. its single species is histoplasma capsulatum which has two varieties: h. capsulatum var. capsulatum and h. capsulatum var. duboisii. its teleomorph is ajellomyces capsulatus.
  • Histoplasmosis

    a disease caused by the fungus histoplasma capsulatum. it primarily affects the lungs but can also occur as a disseminated disease that affects additional organs. the acute respiratory disease has symptoms similar to those of a cold or flu and it usually resolves without treatment in healthy individuals. the disseminated form is generally fatal if untreated.

Patient Education


Histoplasmosis

What is histoplasmosis?

Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Histoplasma. This fungus is common in the central and eastern United States, especially around the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. It can also be found in parts of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It lives in the environment, especially in soil that contains large amounts of bat or bird droppings (poop).

How do you get histoplasmosis?

You get histoplasmosis by breathing in Histoplasma fungal spores from the air. It usually happens after you have been doing an activity that disturbs the soil, such as farming, construction, and landscaping. Histoplasmosis is not contagious. This means that you cannot get the infection from another person or an animal.

What are the symptoms of histoplasmosis?

Most people who breathe in the spores never have any symptoms. If you do get symptoms, they usually start between 3 and 17 days after you breathe in the spores. The symptoms may include:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Fatigue
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Chest pain
  • Body aches

For most people, the symptoms of histoplasmosis will go away within a few weeks to a month. However, some people can have symptoms that last longer, especially if their infection becomes severe. Certain people are more likely to get a severe infection:

  • People who have weakened immune systems, for example from:
    • Having HIV
    • Having had an organ transplant
    • Taking medicines which weaken your immune system, such as chemotherapy and steroids
  • Infants
  • Adults age 55 and over

Severe histoplasmosis can develop into a long-term lung infection. It can also spread from the lungs to other parts of the body, such as the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). This is known as disseminated histoplasmosis.

How is histoplasmosis diagnosed?

To find out if you have histoplasmosis, your health care provider:

  • Will ask about your symptoms and your medical and travel history
  • Will do a physical exam
  • Will likely order a blood, urine, or tissue test to look for signs of the fungus
  • May order a chest x-ray or CT scan of the lungs

What are the treatments for histoplasmosis?

For some people, the symptoms of histoplasmosis will go away without treatment. But you will need treatment if you have severe histoplasmosis in the lungs, chronic histoplasmosis, or an infection that has spread to other parts of the body. That treatment would be with prescription antifungal medicines. In some cases, you may need to take the medicines for 3 months to 1 year.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.