Deadly New Fungus Emerging in Oregon Expected to Spread

Live Science ^ | Apr 22, 2010 | Charles Q. Choi

[decimon]

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."

[oldfart]

So here I sit - in Oregon - hacking and coughing, my nose running like a leaky faucet, trying to stave off a headache and this is what I read.

Sheesh!

[Leo Carpathian]

This is series and hugh!
I hope sulfur from voolcaaano will kill it gooood

[Carry_Okie]

Here is a scholarly survey article.

[BAW]

How about killer tomatoes?

(Sound of hand slapping forehead) Oh I forgot about THEM!!!! LOL

[DTogo]

Sounds like a plot for an enviro-themed Mark Wahlberg movie... oh, never mind.

[Nailbiter]

How about killer Asparagus
Day of the triffids

[Smokin' Joe]

Dangit. We’re all goona die...

Maybe, maybe not, but fewer people will be out there gathering firewood to try to get around cap and freeze (trade).

[sam_paine]

We don’t care to study a new fungus infecting humans?

Who do you mean by "we?" What do you mean by "study?"

If you mean biologists and pathologists studying it and publishing papers to people who deal with this stuff all the time, yeah.

If you mean a bunch of news reporters panicking the general public over pathogenic mutations which occur all the time, no.

[brytlea]

What do you mean by panic?

[brytlea]

I did like that movie as a 6 year old!

[SunkenCiv]

I *knew* you wanted my Thracian chariot...

[neverdem]

Emergence and Pathogenicity of Highly Virulent Cryptococcus gattii Genotypes in the Northwest United States

[momincombatboots]

Isn’t there a cryptococcus spp that thrives in the immunocompromised? Sounds like this may be the case here as well because some fungal nosocomials tend to be from the environment. Perhaps this would explain why the 1 in 4 isn’t panning out unless you have a higher population of immunocompromised individuals.

[shibumi]

Potentially more deadly than even Hippos!

[aruanan]

A deadly, airborne new strain of fungus has emerged in Oregon.

So I guess Oregon gets the flame thrower?

[Slings and Arrows]

Yuggoth called; they want their fungi back.

[LongElegantLegs]

[Salvation]

Late Ping!

[Clint Williams]

We need to get the tree-huggers out more.