Deadly New Fungus Emerging in Oregon Expected to Spread

A deadly, airborne new strain of fungus has emerged in Oregon. It has killed nearly one out of four known affected people so far and might also attack animals ranging from dogs to dolphins. And it is likely to spread, researchers now warn.

The new strain known as VGIIc of the fungus Cryptococcus gattii not only targets humans but has also proven capable of infecting dogs, cats, alpacas, sheep and elk. Other strains have even infected porpoises.

Although it can spread to mammals, it does not jump from animal to animal. Instead, people and other animals get it from inhaling spores released by samples of the fungus that infect trees.

"It's in the environment, and we're exposed to the environment," researcher Edmond Byrnes III of Duke University Medical Center told LiveScience. "And the environmental range of this has been expanding."

http://www.livescience.com/health/deadly-new-fungus-oregon-100422.html

Cryptococcus gattii causes the human diseases of 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.<1> From 1999 through to early 2008, two hundred and sixteen people in British Columbia contracted the disease, and eight died from it.<2> The fungus also infects animals, such as dogs, koalas and dolphins.<3> In 2007, the fungus appeared for the first time in the United States, in Whatcom County, Washington <4> and in April 2010 had spread to Oregon.<5>. The most recently identified strain, designated VGIIc, is particularly virulent, having killed 5 of 21 identified human cases.<6>


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptococcus_gattii

really bad San Jaoquin Valley Fever (Coccydio Mycosis).

A lot of limits to it's range.

IMO the use of the word 'samples' suggests this new strain was engineered.

Many people may be exposed but not 'affected.' So the one-in-four deaths may be more alarming than is warranted. (Hopefully!)