There seems to be alarming news about a killer fungus. TIME.com points out both the hype and the concern: “Fatal Fungus Cryptococcus Gattii: Experts Say Fears Overblown,… And then there’s an article on Health.comthat details the rise of the deadly new strain.
“‘But here’s what you really need to know:
“These infections are still rare, and from an overall health perspective, I don’t think anyone should be concerned, but should just be aware that it is increasing geographically and incidence-wise in [the Pacific Northwest],” says Byrnes. “For the average person, I don’t think this is anything to be too worried about.”
“C. gatti is normally found in tropical climates in South America, Australia and Papua New Guinea. In these endemic regions, it tends to favor eucalyptus trees and, according to Julie Harris, an epidemiologist in the mycotic diseases branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of infection among people are relatively low.”The ‘Killer Fungus‘: Should We Be Scared? – TIME
Here is an abstract from the CDC in British Columbia. C. gattii, British Columbia | CDC EID