Cryptococcus gattii: Emergence in Western North America: Exploitation of a Novel Ecological Niche
The relatively uncommon fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii recently emerged as a significant cause of cryptococcal disease in human and animals in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Although genetic studies indicated its possible presence in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years, C. gat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2009-01-01
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| Series: | Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/176532 |
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| author | Kausik Datta Karen H. Bartlett Kieren A. Marr |
| author_facet | Kausik Datta Karen H. Bartlett Kieren A. Marr |
| author_sort | Kausik Datta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The relatively uncommon fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii recently emerged as a significant cause of cryptococcal disease in human and animals in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Although genetic studies indicated its possible presence in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years, C. gattii as an etiological agent was largely unknown in this region prior to 1999. The recent emergence may have been encouraged by changing conditions of climate or land use and/or host susceptibility, and predictive ecological niche modeling indicates a potentially wider spread. C. gattii can survive wide climatic variations and colonize the environment in tropical, subtropical, temperate, and dry climates. Long-term climate changes, such as the significantly elevated global temperature in the last 100 years, influence patterns of disease among plants and animals and create niche microclimates habitable by emerging pathogens. C. gattii may have exploited such a hitherto unrecognized but clement environment in the Pacific Northwest to provide a wider exposure and risk of infection to human and animal populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4065215b32594b64a3c29f9be95a1909 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-708X 1687-7098 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2009-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj-art-4065215b32594b64a3c29f9be95a19092025-02-03T06:44:21ZengWileyInterdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases1687-708X1687-70982009-01-01200910.1155/2009/176532176532Cryptococcus gattii: Emergence in Western North America: Exploitation of a Novel Ecological NicheKausik Datta0Karen H. Bartlett1Kieren A. Marr2School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 720 Rutland Avenue, Room 1064, Ross Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USASchool of Environmental Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, CanadaSchool of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 720 Rutland Avenue, Room 1064, Ross Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USAThe relatively uncommon fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii recently emerged as a significant cause of cryptococcal disease in human and animals in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Although genetic studies indicated its possible presence in the Pacific Northwest for more than 30 years, C. gattii as an etiological agent was largely unknown in this region prior to 1999. The recent emergence may have been encouraged by changing conditions of climate or land use and/or host susceptibility, and predictive ecological niche modeling indicates a potentially wider spread. C. gattii can survive wide climatic variations and colonize the environment in tropical, subtropical, temperate, and dry climates. Long-term climate changes, such as the significantly elevated global temperature in the last 100 years, influence patterns of disease among plants and animals and create niche microclimates habitable by emerging pathogens. C. gattii may have exploited such a hitherto unrecognized but clement environment in the Pacific Northwest to provide a wider exposure and risk of infection to human and animal populations.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/176532 |
| spellingShingle | Kausik Datta Karen H. Bartlett Kieren A. Marr Cryptococcus gattii: Emergence in Western North America: Exploitation of a Novel Ecological Niche Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases |
| title | Cryptococcus gattii: Emergence in Western North America: Exploitation of a Novel Ecological Niche |
| title_full | Cryptococcus gattii: Emergence in Western North America: Exploitation of a Novel Ecological Niche |
| title_fullStr | Cryptococcus gattii: Emergence in Western North America: Exploitation of a Novel Ecological Niche |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cryptococcus gattii: Emergence in Western North America: Exploitation of a Novel Ecological Niche |
| title_short | Cryptococcus gattii: Emergence in Western North America: Exploitation of a Novel Ecological Niche |
| title_sort | cryptococcus gattii emergence in western north america exploitation of a novel ecological niche |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/176532 |
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