Eastern Health has issued an advisory after a group of Newfoundlanders came back from a trip to Cuba with a serious lung illness.
Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by breathing in spores from a fungus normally found in bird and bat droppings.
It is also known as cave disease because of the accumulation of spores in the air in caves.
Terri Murphy of the Burin Peninsula raised the alarm after she developed trouble breathing following a visit to Cuba where she and a group of other Newfoundlanders took part in a cave swim.
Symptoms of histoplasmosis include cough, chest pains, shortness of breath, fever, chills, and headache.
Eastern Health says people travelling to various countries including the Americas, Africa, Eastern Asia and Australia should be aware of the illness and avoid disturbing the soil in areas where bat or bird droppings accumulate.