Largely, a deadly air should mushroom, nicknamed the killer has infected mushroom, more than 50 people in the United States, according to the CDC, and in the Pacific Northwest, where he appeared.
Still say, public health officials is cause for concern and awareness, but irrelevant.
The killer fungus, the first in Canada in the year 1999 was published, was released in early 2006 in the United States in Washington. Since then found the reports of cases in Oregon and Northern California.
"We would not recommend that people to change their habits in any way" Julie Harris, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist, told staff with the CDC, WebMD. "We recommend not remain inside people or not go hiking or is not outside."
The type of fungus that infection are Cryptococcus Gattii, the pneumonia or meningitis can result. But infection "" simply common step for people who justify modification of behaviour, "explains Harris." "" It is still very rare. People should be but not concerned concerned. »
A message, the briefing Friday, epidemiologist interim report by Katrina Hedberg, MD, MPH said division of health services, journalists, the Oregon Department of health, that it's rare that people at the end of the fungus, ill be.
While the CDC would indicate not the number of deaths, citing incomplete data, Hedberg, said that "50 cases, 10 of them dead.".
Twelve of these 50 cases, were three deaths in the U.S. State of Washington, Nicola Marsden-Haug, MPH, epidemiologist of the Washington State Department of health, the coast.
Marcia Goldoft, MD, a medical epidemiologist with the Ministry, called the people to keep the threat in perspective. "The risk of a rare disease, such as such as c. Gattii carries the benefits of exercise and outdoor activities."
Of the fungi of the follow-up.
The United States researchers is the fungus in tropical locations, for several years, studied, Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of molecular genetics and microbiology said the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, n.c.
The fungus, he tells WebMD, "has its source in the ground and is associated with certain tree species and starts."
While the fungus in General was seen in tropical regions in South America and other tropical areas and it again on Vancouver Island, Canada, 1999 said in subtropical, Heitman, principal author in a report to the mushroom online this week published in the journal PLoS pathogens.
"It is a probably a microbial pathogen of causes serious illness and even death, but it is very rare," he said.
Infections can be treated but no vaccine available, c. Gattii, Heitman with antifungal, said.
The first recorded case of US Orcas Iceland, Washington, says Heitman. It followed cases in Washington and Oregon.
Hedberg, said that 50 cases occurred in Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
The Heitman team has discovered a new pathogenic strain of the fungus for Oregon.
In contrast to a different type of fungus, Cryptococcus Neoformans, he infected usually the ones that can infect mushroom people apparently in good health HIV infection or other immunocompromised persons, c. Gattii.
50 Cases of the CDC, Harris says, contains 15-95 persons.
How to spread the fungus
"In the area is the fungus" Hedberg. "" "It in the ground or in trees is present." As trucks of wood in the five in the Pacific Northwest Corridor, she says, is probably spread the fungus.
Air fungus is inhaled. "People to inhale, the sick," Hedberg said. "It is at all distributed not by one person to another."
And she adds: many will be made available, but only really sick.
Exposure to the fungus symptoms varies, Heitman, said. It may be two to eight months.
Symptoms of mushroom
Four symptoms are typical for c. Gattii infection, said Harris of the CDC. These include:
* Headaches
* Fever
* Shivers
* Shortness of breath
Some people, that only a symptom were infected by the fungus, it tells WebMD, but often, they have all four.
Find you your doctor, if you think symptoms, and you were exposed to it can advise.
It encourages doctors to be vigilant to the symptoms for patients, especially if they have visited in life or in the Pacific Northwest.