Potentially Deadly Fungal Infection Often Strikes Healthy People

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Tropical Illness Reaches Pacific Northwest

Potentially Deadly Fungal Infection Often Strikes Healthy People

By Charlene Laino

WebMD Health

NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDOct. 31, 2008 (Washington D.C.) --

http://www.webmd.com/news/20081031/tropical-illness-reaches-pacific-

northwest

A deadly fungal infection that typically strikes people in tropical

climates has found its way to the Pacific Northwest, researchers

report.

Since 2004, 19 cases of disease caused by Cryptococcus gattii have

been documented in Oregon and Washington, says West, MD, of

Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

" Unfortunately, their outcomes have been rather poor. About 20% of

the patients died, and those who survived were very sick and

required prolonged hospitalization, " she tells WebMD.

Among the symptoms are confusion, headache, shortness of breath, and

cough. Patients are typically treated with the antifungal drugs

Vfend or Noxafil, West says.

" We're still trying to figure out the best treatment, " she says.

The findings were described at a joint meeting of the American

Society for Microbiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of

America.

Healthy People Stricken

The outbreak, while relatively small, is noteworthy because about

half of the cases occurred in healthy people, says Auwaerter,

MD, of s Hopkins, who served on the committee that chose which

studies to highlight at the meeting.

" Typically, we only see cryptococcal infections in people with

compromised immune systems, " such as those with AIDS, he tells WebMD.

A Cryptococcus gattii outbreak was also reported in 1999 in

Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. " But none of the

patients stricken in Washington and Oregon had prior travel to the

island, " so the outbreaks appear unrelated, " West says.

She adds that doctors do not yet know how the fungus is transmitted.

The outbreak in the Northwest may be only the " the tip of the

iceberg. My prediction is that we'll see much more of this, " says W.

Ian Lipkin, MD, of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public

Health in New York City.

Fungal infections are often treated like a stepchild to other

infectious diseases, he says.

" There is a larger burden of fungal disease than we currently

recognize. Fungal diseases are under-emphasized in the emerging

infectious disease portfolio as being not as worthy as viral or

bacterial infections, although this view is changing, " he says.