You can, however, be alert for long lasting or severe symptoms and consult a doctor for early diagnosis and treatment. All Rights Reserved. Symptoms of cryptococcal disease include: Prolonged cough lasting weeks or months Shortness of breath Headache Vomiting Fever Weight loss If symptoms occur, the disease can cause pneumonia, meningitis, nodules in the lungs or brain, or skin infection.
Tests and Diagnosis. Treatment and Drugs. Where is this fungus found? Cryptococcus gattii is found naturally in the environment in B. It lives on trees and in the soil on the east coast of Vancouver Island and has occasionally been detected in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions.
Why did the fungus appear in B. It is not clear why Cryptococcus gattii appeared in B. It may have been imported through air or on traveling people, vehicles or products or it may have always existed on Vancouver Island and increased in prevalence due to environmental change.
Is it safe to live on Vancouver Island or to travel there? It is safe to travel to Vancouver Island. The risk of contracting the disease is very low and in almost all cases the disease can be treated. The benefits of outdoor exercise far outweigh the risks of cryptococcosis. All areas where the fungus has been found remain open to the public. Are my pets at risk of infection?
Annual incidence, after reaching a plateau during —, increased in Although most C. The exact mode of transmission of C. However, studies of possible dispersal mechanisms have indicated an association of C. A few domestic and international travelers to the disease-endemic zone on Vancouver Island have subsequently contracted cryptococcal disease caused by C.
These findings indicate that this subtype of C. In recent years, several cases of C. In early , the first US case of human infection by a C. From through July , a total of 9 additional culture-confirmed cases were reported in Washington in residents of Whatcom, Island, King, and San Juan counties R. Baer, unpub. All C. Morshed and L. Three of these 10 patients had no travel history to Vancouver Island or other C. In addition, 1 Washington resident with sarcoidosis received a diagnosis of C.
Washington State now considers C. Cases of C. During —, two cases of culture-confirmed C. These case-patients did not report exposure to Vancouver Island or other C. The current count is 19 confirmed cases, as of May S. West and K. Marr, unpub. As with case-patients seen in British Columbia and Washington, many of these patients had pulmonary manifestations.
A review of the travel history of these patients suggests in-state acquisition, although with the currently considered incubation period of 6 weeks to 11 months for C. Additional cases are suspected because of increased reports of cryptococcal disease documented in otherwise healthy persons K.
However, the current epidemiologic understanding of the extent and spread of C. Cryptococcal disease in animals is often characterized by upper respiratory symptoms, subcutaneous nodules, pneumonia, central nervous system or ocular disorders, lymphadenopathy, or subcutaneous nodules 2 , 24 , To date, many species of animals, including dogs, cats, ferrets, porpoises, llamas, alpacas, birds, and a horse, have been confirmed to have C.
During —, C. Byrnes, pers. From August through July , C. Wohrle, pers. Identified risk factors for animals include disturbance of soil or vegetation caused by hiking, digging, logging, and construction. These activities can potentially increase aerial dispersal of the infectious particles and contact with soil and tree cuttings The distribution of isolates recovered from human and animal sources and from the environment is shown in the Figure.
Map of the Pacific Northwest, comprising parts of British Columbia, Canada, and the states of Washington and Oregon in the United States, showing human and veterinary Cryptococcus gattii cases including marine mammals by place of residence or detection, and locations of environmental isolation of C.
Data were collected from various state health departments and published reports referenced in the text. The map and icons have been used at a scale that shows gross geographic areas, effectively masking any personally identifiable patient locality information. A possible association between C. However, this association is not uniform 11 , which indicates additional environmental sources. In British Columbia, C.
These zones are characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters, a climate different from that traditionally associated with C. This finding suggests either a change in the ecology and distribution of this organism, or identification of a previously unrecognized niche 23 , From the beginning of the C.
Ecologic modeling of C. Mak, unpub. Similar climates with comparable temperature and rainfall extend further south into Washington and Oregon. However, it was not found in the environment in other areas, such as the San Juan Islands 36 , which suggests that environmental hot spots zones of high concentration of C. Some areas may have transient colonization, with initially positive sites yielding subsequent negative results Complicating the interpretation of epidemiologic data is the fact that the nature of the infectious propagule is currently unknown.
Julie Harris , Julie Harris. E-mail: ggt5 cdc. Oxford Academic. Shawn Lockhart. Tom Chiller. Revision received:. Select Format Select format. Permissions Icon Permissions. Abstract Infections caused by the emerging pathogen Cryptococcus gattii are increasing in frequency in North America. Cryptococcus gattii , review. Table 1 Clinical Cryptococcus gattii genotypes by location, patient types, presentation, and outcomes. Most common patient types based on data published. Most common presentation.
Cryptococcusgattii : emergence of a novel pathogen in the United States Pacific Northwest. ND, no data available. Open in new tab. Google Scholar Crossref. Search ADS. Google Scholar PubMed. An atypical strain of Cryptococcus neoformans San Felice Vuillemin Description of the disease and of the strain. Proposal to conserve the name Cryptococcus gattii against C. Epidemiologic differences between the two varieties of Cryptococcus neoformans.
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Testing of trees and soil has been done in a number of areas on Vancouver Island and in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions to help determine the general distribution of the fungus.
It is not possible or even useful to test trees in specific neighbourhoods. The fungus could be present in an area even if some trees from that area test negative. No specific environmental measures against this type of fungus exist. There are no fungicides or other chemicals that can be applied to trees to protect them. Cutting down trees on private property is not recommended because it will not prevent exposure to the fungus. The risk of contracting the disease is very low and in most cases the disease can be treated.
The benefits of outdoor enjoyment far outweigh the risks of cryptococcal disease. Skip to main content. Cryptococcal Disease C. Last Updated:. February Download PDF:. What is cryptococcal disease?
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