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by hodie on 24 April 2010 - 00:04
Reuters Health
Thursday, April 22, 2010
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - 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 at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000850
"Our findings suggest further expansion into neighboring regions is likely to occur and aim to increase disease awareness in the region."
The new strain appears to be unusually deadly, with a mortality rate of about 25 percent among the 21 U.S. cases analyzed, they said.
"From 1999 through 2003, the cases were largely restricted to Vancouver Island," the report reads.
"Between 2003 and 2006, the outbreak expanded into neighboring mainland British Columbia and then into Washington and Oregon from 2005 to 2009. Based on this historical trajectory of expansion, the outbreak may continue to expand into the neighboring region of Northern California, and possibly further."
The spore-forming fungus can cause symptoms in people and animals two weeks or more after exposure. They include a cough that lasts for weeks, sharp chest pain, shortness of breath, headache, fever, nighttime sweats and weight loss.
It has also turned up in cats, dogs, an alpaca and a sheep.
Freezing can kill the fungus and climate change may be helping it spread, the researchers said.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - 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 at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000850
"Our findings suggest further expansion into neighboring regions is likely to occur and aim to increase disease awareness in the region."
The new strain appears to be unusually deadly, with a mortality rate of about 25 percent among the 21 U.S. cases analyzed, they said.
"From 1999 through 2003, the cases were largely restricted to Vancouver Island," the report reads.
"Between 2003 and 2006, the outbreak expanded into neighboring mainland British Columbia and then into Washington and Oregon from 2005 to 2009. Based on this historical trajectory of expansion, the outbreak may continue to expand into the neighboring region of Northern California, and possibly further."
The spore-forming fungus can cause symptoms in people and animals two weeks or more after exposure. They include a cough that lasts for weeks, sharp chest pain, shortness of breath, headache, fever, nighttime sweats and weight loss.
It has also turned up in cats, dogs, an alpaca and a sheep.
Freezing can kill the fungus and climate change may be helping it spread, the researchers said.
by Mystere on 24 April 2010 - 15:04
This fungus is precisely the reason that I have never set foot on Vancouver Island! I never had a clue that it had spread from VI. Thank you, Hodie, for the head's up. Now, how do I protect myslef and dogs from this crap?
by hodie on 24 April 2010 - 16:04
Given that this fungus is airborne, and may also form spores, there is probably no way to protect oneself or one's dogs from this fungus. It is clearly ubitquitous in many environments in the NW of the US and Canada. It is already seen in Oregon and also northern California. This illustrates a simple principle for all of us. Each day, unbeknownst to us, we are assaulted by a variety of foreign substances, pathogens, free radicals etc. Normally, our immune system reacts to these and will mount an immune response. That is why and how vaccines work. The immune system must recognize something as foreign and if it does, it will respond. The normally healthy immune system works tirelessly each second to defeat foreign invaders. What is troubling about this fungus is that it appears to be virulent, and it can be found in otherwise healthy humans and animals, with serious consequences.
Here are two paragraphs from the journal article. I think it is also interesting, and helps answer the thread question on why Customs agents adhere to specific rules (although that thread was about importing pups). International travel, bringing plants, fungus, viruses, bacteria and other life forms where they have not been before can result in serious problems. Guam is a good study for the issue of native bird species and the introduction of snakes to the island. This fungus may be a recombinant variety.......
But in terms of protection, just knowing that one is ill and seeking medical attention in a prudent fashion is probably all one can reasonably do. When we have colder winters, that may kill the fungus, but for now, with warmer winters, it looks like conditions are good for the fungus to spread. From the article:
"Independently of the variables leading up to and influencing this outbreak, the major concern is and continues to be the inexorable expansion throughout the region. From 1999 through 2003, the cases were largely restricted to Vancouver Island. Between 2003 and 2006, the outbreak expanded into neighboring mainland British Columbia and then into Washington and Oregon from 2005 to 2009. Based on this historical trajectory of expansion, the outbreak may continue to expand into the neighboring region of Northern California, and possibly further.
The rising incidence of cryptococcosis cases in humans and animals highlights the need for enhanced awareness in the region, and those regions that may potentially become involved. While rare, little is currently known about how or why specific humans and animals become infected. Increased vigilance may decrease the time from infection to diagnosis, and thus lead to more effective treatment and a reduction in mortality rates. The potential dangers of travel-associated risks should be noted, as a growing number of cases attributable to travel within the Pacific NW region have been documented [69], [70]. Northern California has similar temperate climates to endemic regions within Oregon, leading to the hypothesis that the emergence may expand there, while expansion eastward may be limited by winters with average temperatures often below freezing [17]."
Here are two paragraphs from the journal article. I think it is also interesting, and helps answer the thread question on why Customs agents adhere to specific rules (although that thread was about importing pups). International travel, bringing plants, fungus, viruses, bacteria and other life forms where they have not been before can result in serious problems. Guam is a good study for the issue of native bird species and the introduction of snakes to the island. This fungus may be a recombinant variety.......
But in terms of protection, just knowing that one is ill and seeking medical attention in a prudent fashion is probably all one can reasonably do. When we have colder winters, that may kill the fungus, but for now, with warmer winters, it looks like conditions are good for the fungus to spread. From the article:
"Independently of the variables leading up to and influencing this outbreak, the major concern is and continues to be the inexorable expansion throughout the region. From 1999 through 2003, the cases were largely restricted to Vancouver Island. Between 2003 and 2006, the outbreak expanded into neighboring mainland British Columbia and then into Washington and Oregon from 2005 to 2009. Based on this historical trajectory of expansion, the outbreak may continue to expand into the neighboring region of Northern California, and possibly further.
The rising incidence of cryptococcosis cases in humans and animals highlights the need for enhanced awareness in the region, and those regions that may potentially become involved. While rare, little is currently known about how or why specific humans and animals become infected. Increased vigilance may decrease the time from infection to diagnosis, and thus lead to more effective treatment and a reduction in mortality rates. The potential dangers of travel-associated risks should be noted, as a growing number of cases attributable to travel within the Pacific NW region have been documented [69], [70]. Northern California has similar temperate climates to endemic regions within Oregon, leading to the hypothesis that the emergence may expand there, while expansion eastward may be limited by winters with average temperatures often below freezing [17]."
by Mystere on 25 April 2010 - 01:04
YIKES!!!
by hodie on 25 April 2010 - 02:04
As Rosann-Rosanna-Dana used to say......."It's always something." LOL
by BabyEagle4U on 25 April 2010 - 02:04
by hodie on 25 April 2010 - 02:04
No, not "crazy", just crap and completely untrue.
by BabyEagle4U on 25 April 2010 - 13:04
Hodie, can you explain what isn't true and is crap please. Thanks.
by Sunsilver on 25 April 2010 - 15:04
Baby Eagle, if you investigate that online newspaper further, you will find it is a White Supremacist publication, with many articles slamming Jews and blacks, and, of course, Obama. Anything they say is highly suspect, IMO.
Hodie, thanks for the info on C. gatti. Makes me glad I live in a cold climate!
Hodie, thanks for the info on C. gatti. Makes me glad I live in a cold climate!
by Robin on 25 April 2010 - 15:04
Okay this is VERY weird-- we have a client that comes to the clinic and long story short she has kinfolk that come down from Washington and every time they come down (2 times within a year) they have had a dog die about 1 week after they leave. We were talking and she said that they were Hippie's and they grow their own spices and such and that they feed their dogs the left overs--So I was thinking maybe because they don't use pesticides to kill bugs and stuff maybe they bring something down with them. the signs on the dogs were labored breathing and fast death she lost one last Sunday so we sent off some samples to see what was going on. Doc, said that the lungs were full of fluid,I was not there so don't know what the dog looked like, but I will be sending this thread over the her so she can look at it. she lives in Mo. on 800 acres. not sure what part of Washington her kinfolk live in. these are Bull Mastiff's
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