Potentially deadly fungus spreading in U.S. and Canada

Reuters ^ | April 22, 2010 | Eric Beech

[La Enchiladita]

A potentially deadly strain of fungus is spreading among animals and people in the northwestern United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia, researchers reported on Thursday.

The airborne fungus, called Cryptococcus gattii, usually only infects transplant and AIDS patients and people with otherwise compromised immune systems, but the new strain is genetically different, the researchers said.

"This novel fungus is worrisome because it appears to be a threat to otherwise healthy people," said Edmond Byrnes of Duke University in North Carolina, who led the study.

"The findings presented here document that the outbreak of C. gattii in Western North America is continuing to expand throughout this temperate region," the researchers said in their report, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Pathogens here

"Our findings suggest further expansion into neighboring regions is likely to occur and aim to increase disease awareness in the region."

[La Enchiladita]

Health scare du jour, or for real, or semi-for real like "mad cow." ???

[tet68]

My toes HAVE been itching.

[DonaldC]

I have heard a lot about fungus infections that can cause a myriad of health concerns, but I rarely hear about it from mainstream doctors, usually from people who see alternative medicine folks.

[GeronL]

Is this like the bird flu? or any number of other crises that cannot go to waste?

[Jewbacca]

It’s what happens when irresponsible people with “compromised immunity” continue to participate in “alternative” lifestyles, all while pumped with anti-virals, anti-biotics, and anti-fungals.

Superbugs jump from their diseased bodies into the general population

[gdzla]

So... There’s a fungus among us.
Sorry couldn’t help it.

[jackv]

Sort of like that nightmare killer H1N1 that wasn’t???

[Jewbacca]

It’s evolution 101.

[SkyDancer]

It’s been reported that it’s been here for ten years and so far five people have died from it ...

[GeronL]

I wonder how much it cost taxpayers to dispose of all the unused vaccine?

[blam]

I swear:

"It's Always Something".

We'll need a new government agency staffed with more Obama Commies to address this 'disease.'

[GeronL]

It’s been reported that it’s been here for ten years and so far five people have died from it ...

That is a catastrophic epidemic

[Daffynition]

C. Gatti

[CholeraJoe]

21 cases, 6 deaths. Hardly the Black Death.

[GeronL]

A crisis that cannot go to waste

[hinckley buzzard]

Fungal infections are prevalent in various climates but often present chronic low level symptoms. An example is coccidioidomycosis, endemic in the Southwest desert, commonly known as "valley fever," and affecting a large proportion of the population. Nobody dies from it, but it never completely goes away either.

"Mainstream medicine" knows all about it but there isn't much treatment available.

[Jack Hydrazine]

It’s not a tumor! It’s a fungus!

[Jack Hydrazine]

A fungus among us!

[Army Air Corps]

Mayhap a Fungus Czar?

[verum ago]

And they had to get in that little “Climate Change” prod too.

To be perfectly honest, it is a little worrisome- it’s not a flash in the pan like a virus. It’ll establish itself in the environment and be here to stay.

I guess the best analogy would be West Nile- it’s not the end of the world, but it is here to stay, and it will get some people, just not many.

Oh well..