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| Cryptococcus gattii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Cryptococcus neoformans weakly encapsulated (left) as it appears in nature, and (right) rehydrated with thick polysaccharide capsule as it appears once in the lungs. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Tremellomycetes |
| Order: | Tremellales |
| Family: | Cryptococcaceae |
| Genus: | Cryptococcus |
| Species: | C. gattii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cryptococcus gattii (Vanbreus. & Takashio) Kwon-Chung & Boekhout
| |
Cryptococcus gattii, formerly known as Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii, is an encapsulated yeast found primarily in tropical and subtropical climates. Its teleomorph is Filobasidiella bacillispora, a filamentous fungus belonging to the class Tremellomycetes.
C. gattii is one of two organisms causing the infectious disease cryptococcosis (along with C. neoformans).[1] Clinical manifestations of C. gattii infection include pulmonary cryptococcosis (lung infection), basal meningitis, and cerebral cryptococcomas. Occasionally, the fungus is associated with skin, soft tissue, lymph node, bone, and joint infections. In recent years, it has appeared in British Columbia, Canada and the Pacific Northwest.[2] It has been suggested that tsunamis, such as the 1964 Alaska earthquake and tsunami, might have been responsible for carrying the fungus to North America and its subsequent spread there.[3] From 1999 through to early 2008, 216 people in British Columbia have been infected with C. gattii, and eight died from complications related to it.[4] The fungus also infects animals, such as dogs, koalas, and dolphins.[5] In 2007, the fungus appeared for the first time in the United States, in Whatcom County, Washington[6] and in April 2010 had spread to Oregon.[7] The most recently identified strain, designated VGIIc, is particularly virulent, having proved fatal in 19 of 218 known cases.[8]
- ^ Tortora, Gerard J.; Funke, Berdell R.; Case, Christine L. (2021). Microbiology: An Introduction (13th ed.). Harlow: Pearson. p. 665. ISBN 978-1-292-27626-7.
- ^ "Cryptococcus gattii Q&A". The Globe and Mail. 2007-02-10.
- ^ Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Health (October 1, 2019). "Did long ago tsunamis lead to mysterious, tropical fungal outbreak in Pacific northwest?". Phys.org. Science X Network. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
- ^ "Deadly fungus migrates to Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. 2008-02-18. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
- ^ Struck, Doug (2007-04-08). "Alien Invasion:The Fungus that came to Canada". The Washington Post.
- ^ Rare, deadly tropical fungus moves into Whatcom County | KOMO-TV - Seattle, Washington | Local & Regional Archived 2007-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Potentially deadly fungus spreading in U.S. and Canada". Reuters. 22 April 2010. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
- ^ "New, Deadly Cryptococcus Gattii Fungus Found in U.S." 2010-04-23. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved 2017-09-05.