Deep‐seated fungal diseases in the South Pacific, especially in New Caledonia

Abstract

The main deep-seated fungal diseases and their encountered pathology in New Caledonia and other islands of the South Pacific are reviewed (1970-96). Cryptococcosis is encountered in all islands of the South Pacific, Australia and Papua New Guinea, with a predominance of variety gattii, which is associated with some species of Eucalyptus. Histoplasmosis is not uncommon, and there was an epidemic in New Caledonia in 1994 among people who had visited a bat-inhabited cave. Mycetomas, in particular presenting as pale granules in tissues, are encountered in New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and French Polynesia. Other fungal infections, such as zygomycosis, sporotrichosis (three cases) and chromomycosis (six cases) are rarely observed in New Caledonia.

Infections associated with adventure travel: A systematic review

“…Disease has been documented after exposure to caves, cave entrances, canyoning, cleaning sites, and construction areas in North, Central and South America as well as Africa and Asia [42e47]. Cases have been documented in the following Countries after spelunking: United States [43e45], Cuba, [48], Costa Rica [49], Belize [50,51] Nicaragua [52], Guatemala, Peru [53e55], Ecuador [56], Brazil [57,58], El Salvador [59], Venezuela [60], New Caledonia [61], Cyprus [62], Martinique [63], Australia [64], and Tanzania [65].…”