A strain of the fungus called Cryptococcus gattii is spreading from Oregon toward California, according to a report from Duke University’s Medical Center.
Symptoms of infection by the fungus include coughing, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and weight loss. It can be lethal.
While Cryptococcus gattii normally occurs in tropical climates, the new strain has adapted to temperate climates. It’s not the first time the tropical fungus has appeared in North America. C. gattii first spread from temperate British Columbia, Canada, in 1999. It has made its way down Washington and is now reported in Oregon, descending further south to California in its latest strain.
In a national or continental context, the illness remains confined to America’s Northwestern coast, and to British Columbia in Canada—making it not a threat to the vast majority of North Americans.
