Publications

Current fungal infection reports. 2012-12-01; 6.4: 245-256.

Cryptococcus gattii, no longer an accidental pathogen?

Springer DJ, Phadke S, Billmyre B, Heitman J

PMID: 23243480

Abstract

Cryptococcus gattii is an environmentally occurring pathogen that is responsible for causing cryptococcosis marked by pneumonia and meningoencephalitis in humans and animals. C. gattii can form long-term associations with trees and soil resulting in the production of infectious propagules (spores and desiccated yeast). The ever expanding reports of clinical and environmental isolation of C. gattii in temperate climates strongly imply C. gattii occurs world-wide. The key ability of yeast and spores to enter, survive, multiply, and exit host cells and to infect immunocompetent hosts distinguishes C. gattii as a primary pathogen and suggest evolution of C. gattii pathogenesis as a result of interaction with plants and other organisms in its environmental niche. Here we summarize the historical literature on C. gattii and recent literature supporting the world-wide occurrence of the primary pathogen C. gattii.


This publication is listed for reference purposes only. It may be included to present a more complete view of a JCVI employee's body of work, or as a reference to a JCVI sponsored project.

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