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Friday, April 23, 2010

Reuters : Potentially deadly fungus spreading in U.S. and Canada

A threat in our hands?? Only time will tell. This deserves our attention for it's developments. Via 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 here.

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

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