Killer fungus spreads here from Island
Three Lower Mainland people reported infected so far
Doris Sun
Vancouver Sun
June 3, 2005
LOWER MAINLAND - A potentially fatal fungal disease previously found only on the east coast of Vancouver Island is now spreading to the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast and the Fraser Valley.
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says cryptococcal disease, caused by a tropical fungus usually found in Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, has recently infected three people and six animals in those areas.
There have also been four deaths from the illness in 132 cases on Vancouver Island since 1999.
Dr. Eleni Galanis, physician epidemiologist for the disease control centre, said she does not know how the fungus spread from Vancouver Island to the mainland.
"In the last few months, we've had people become infected with the fungus who have not travelled to Vancouver Island and this has led us to believe it can now [be on the mainland]."
She said the illness could have been transmitted in many different ways -- carried by the wind, on clothing or in vehicles.
"We've even found it in people's homes -- in the air in people's homes -- probably being carried in by air from trees or soil. But it seems to be able to be carried quite a distance."
The illness can be contracted when people and animals breathe in fungal spores. It is not contagious. In most cases, exposure to the fungus causes no illness, but if infection does occur it can cause pneumonia or meningitis, and possibly lead to death. About one person in every 1,000 people exposed to the fungus becomes infected.
"We do not think there is a high risk for people to become infected. However, it is a serious disease and people shouldn't take it lightly if they develop symptoms," said Galanis.
Symptoms include prolonged cough, sharp chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, night sweats, severe headache, and weight loss.
Galanis said B.C.'s strain of cryptococcal disease, caused by the fungus Cryptococcus gattii, is different from other strains of the disease.
"Other varieties of cryptococcus have usually affected people with weakened immune systems, but this particular strain was affecting people who were healthy and strong."
Galanis said people over the age of 60 are more susceptible to being infected.
She said warm and wet weather seem to be favourable to the colonization of the fungus.
Although there have been several cases of the disease on the mainland, the fungus has not yet been found in the environment. The disease control centre is currently testing trees, soil, and air for traces of the fungus.
© The Vancouver Sun 2005
-->Source<--