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Two men from New York have died after using bat poop as a fertilizer to grow cannabis.
According to Live Science, the Rochester residents died from pneumonia after the bat poop — also known as guano — released a harmful fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum.
During the fertilization process, the men breathed in harmful fungus spores and subsequently developed a condition called histoplasmosis — a lung infection.
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Per Oxford Academic, their symptoms included chronic cough, fever, blood poisoning and respiratory failure. The medical journal, which was published on Dec. 4., revealed that the men, aged 59 and 64, were hospitalized and given antifungal medication, but that they later died of the infections.
One of the men had bought the guano online, while the other person had found the poop in his attic after discovering a “heavy” bat infestation.
According to Cannabis Business Times, bat guano is a popular ingredient for many cannabis growers, due to its high proportion of the active ingredients nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
Per Live Science, the case highlights the importance of raising awareness of the danger of using bat guano as a 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 journal also cited the dangers of numerous articles describing guano as a “natural superfood” for cannabis fertilization.
