NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nearly two dozen people in middle Tennessee have gotten seriously sick from a fungus commonly found in the region, and health officials want to make sure families have the information they need to stay safe.

The state is investigating a curious rise in histoplasmosis cases in Maury and Williamson counties. Health experts say most people in Tennessee have actually already had histoplasmosis and never realized it, but one mother's story shows why this outbreak has everyone's attention — she says it nearly took her son from her.

Amy O'Neal has been sleeping in a recliner next to her son's hospital bed for weeks. What started as a fever nearly cost 24-year-old Liam his life.

"You have to be strong for him," O'Neal said. "He is a fighter."

In mid-October, Liam test

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