Spread of<i>Cryptococcus gattii</i>in British Columbia, Canada, and Detection in the Pacific Northwest, USA

MacDougall, Laura; Kidd, Sarah; Galanis, Eleni; Mak, Sunny; Leslie, Mira J.; Cieslak, Paul R.; Kronstad, James W.; Morshed, Muhammad; Bartlett, Karen H.

doi:10.3201/eid1301.060827

Cited by 263 publications

(280 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Interestingly data from British Columbia revealed that only 18.3% of the immunocompetent patients affected by C. gattii have had CNS involvement with most cases revealing pulmonary affection (40).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criptococosis en Colombia: resultados de la encuesta nacional, 2006-2010

et al. 2012

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Introduction: A survey on cryptococcosis is being conducted regularly in Colombia since 1997. We present hereby the results corresponding to patients diagnosed from 2006 to 2010. Objective: To analyze the data obtained during this period. Materials and methods:Retrospective analysis of the corresponding surveys. Results: A total of 526 surveys originating from 72% of the Colombian political divisions were received during the 5-year period. Most patients (76.6%) were males and 74.9% were 21-50 years old. The most prevalent risk factor was HIV infection (83.5%) with cryptococcosis defining AIDS in 23% of the cases. In the general population the estimated mean annual incidence rate for cryptococcosis was 2.4 x 10 6 inhabitants while in AIDS patients this rate rose to 3.3 x 10 3 . In 474 surveys stating clinical features, most frequent complaints were headache 84.5%, fever 63.4%, nausea and vomiting 57.5%, mental alterations 46.3%, meningeal signs 33.0%, cough 26.4% and visual alterations 24.5%. Neurocryptococcosis was recorded in 81.8% of the cases. Laboratory diagnosis was based on direct examination, culture and latex in 29.3% cases. From 413 Cryptococcus isolates analyzed, 95.6% were identified as C. neoformans var. grubii, 1% C. neoformans var. neoformans, and 3.4% C. gattii. Treatment was reported for 71.6% of the cases with amphotericin B alone or in combination with fluconazole prescribed in 28%. Conclusions: Surveys done through passive surveillance continue to be sentinel markers for HIV infection and represent a systematic approach to the study of opportunistic problems regularly afflicting AIDS patients since cryptococcosis requires no compulsory notification in Colombia. Author contributions:Patricia Escandón: played an important role in writing and preparing the manuscript, in charge of the surveillance at the Instituto Nacional de Salud, controlled receipt of questionnaires. Catalina de Bedout: in charge of the mycological diagnosis for all Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas cases, established links with physicians in charge of patients, controlled receipt of questionnaires and performed the susceptibility testing in all isolates. Jairo Lizarazo: physician in charge of the patients from Norte de Santander, checked the questionnaire's contents for medical accuracy, analyzed the data through statistical analysis. Clara Inés Agudelo: worked all long in the surveillance study, played an important role in preparation of the manuscript and in the analysis of the data, including statistical tests. Ángela Tobón: examined many of the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas patients, filled in the corresponding questionnaires, supervised the clinical aspects of most patients and served as a consultant for other physicians in charge of cryptococcosis patients. Solmara Bello: in charge of the mycological diagnosis for Instituto Nacional de Salud cases. Ángela Restrepo: surveillance of the whole program, contacting physicians and serving as consultant for all participants, analyzing data, writing of ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criptococosis en Colombia: resultados de la encuesta nacional, 2006-2010

et al. 2012

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“…não podem se disseminar no ambiente a partir de lesões no tecido (Malik et al 2006). No entanto, casos descritos em humanos e em animais podem resultar de uma fonte ambiental comum (Malik et al 2006, MacDougall et al 2007.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…C. neoformans apresenta distribuição cosmopolita, sendo frequentemente isolado de excretas dessecadas de aves, especialmente pombos urbanos (Farias & Xavier 2009). C. gattii é encontrado principalmente em áreas de plantações de eucalipto em climas tropicais (Caswell & Williams 2007, MacDougall et al 2007, Datta et al 2009.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Características histomorfológicas e histoquímicas determinantes no diagnóstico da criptococose em animais de companhia

et al. 2014

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Pesq. Vet. Bras. 34(3):261-269, março 2014 261 RESUMO.-Sete casos de criptococose (seis gatos e um cão) foram estudados para estabelecer as características histomorfológicas e histoquímicas determinantes no diagnóstico histopatológico dessa condição. Os dados complementares relacionados à epidemiologia, aos aspectos clínicos, à localização das lesões e às alterações macroscópicas foram obtidos dos protocolos de necropsias e biópsias. Na histologia, as leveduras foram observadas no interior de macrófagos ou livres no parênquima, associadas à reação inflamatória linfo-histioplasmocítica que variou de escassa a acentuada. Pela técnica de hematoxilina-eosina (HE) as leveduras eram arredondadas, com célula central contendo um núcleo, circundada por um halo claro (cápsula geralmente não corada). As técnicas histoquímicas do ácido periódico de Schiff (PAS), Grocott e Fontana-Masson (FM) foram utilizadas e evidenciaram a parede das células das leveduras. Pelo FM observou-se a melanina presente nessas células. As téc- Seven cases of cryptococosis (six cats and one dog) were studied to establish the determining histomorphological and histochemical characteristics in the histopathological diagnosis of this condition. Additional data related to the epidemiology, clinical aspects, sites of the lesions, and gross findings were obtained from the necropsy and biopsy protocols. Histologically, yeasts were observed inside macrophages or free in the parenchyma, associated with scarse to severe lymphohistioplasmacytic inflammatory reaction. In the hematoxylin-eosin (HE) sections, the yeasts were round, with a central cell containing a nucleus, surrounded by a clear halo (usually non-stained capsule). The techniques of periodic Schiff acid (PAS), Groccot (GMS), and Fontana-Masson (FM) were utilized and demonstrated the wall of the yeast cells. The FM stain showed the melanin present in these cells. The Alcian blue and Mayer's mucicarmin stains showed mainly the yeast polysaccharide capsule. The diameter of the cells ranged from 1.67 to 10.00µm and the full diameter of the encapsulated yeasts varied between 4.17 e 34.16µm. Yeast buddings were better observed through the PAS stain and were narrow based, simple or multiple, mainly in the opposite poles of the cells or forming chains. The definitive diagnosis of cryptococosis was established through the histopathological exam, based on the specific morphology of the agent (encapsulated yeast) and on histochemical proprieties, mostly in the cases without fungal culture.

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“…This species is a primary pathogen causing infections manly in immunocompetent patients and was thought to be geographically restricted to tropical and subtropical climate zones [2,7]. However, since 1999 isolates of a specific molecular type (VGII) of this species are the cause of an ongoing outbreak of cryptococcosis on Vancouver Island BC, Canada, indicating a strong shift in its ecological niche [8,9]. In addition infections caused by C. gattii tent to be more severe than the ones caused by C. neoformans resulting in pulmonary mass lesions after prolonged asymptomatic infections, which than need to be treated often much longer [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hyperbranched rolling circle amplification as a rapid and sensitive method for species identification within the Cryptococcus species complex

et al. 2008

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The Cryptococcus species complex contains two closely related basidiomycetous yeasts: Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii, which cause cryptococcosis in humans and other animals. The species and varieties are characterized, by different clinical, epidemiological, biochemical and molecular features. The currently used identification methods are either time-consuming or not anymore commercially available. However, a rapid, sensitive and robust assay for the detection of these pathogens is vital for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment decisions. To overcome those limitations, four padlock probes targeting speciesspecific single nucleotide polymorphisms at the internal transcribed spacers (ITSs) of the RNA gene locus were developed and applied during isothermal hyperbranched rolling circle amplification (HRCA). The probes were tested against 99 samples, including 94 clinical cryptococcal cultures, three closely related Cryptococcus species, and two clinical specimens. The use of the padlock probes and the combination of probe signal amplification by HRCA provided a quick and sensitive assay for the accurate identification of C. neoformans var. grubii, C. neoformans var. neoformans and C. gattii. HRCA was also useful to detect hybrids, when they were heterozygous at the ITS locus. The HRCA results were in agreement with previous genotyping data based on PCR fingerprinting, amplified fragment length polymorphism and ITS sequencing.

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Spread ofCryptococcus gattiiin British Columbia, Canada, and Detection in the Pacific Northwest, USA

Cited by 263 publications

References 18 publications

Criptococosis en Colombia: resultados de la encuesta nacional, 2006-2010

Criptococosis en Colombia: resultados de la encuesta nacional, 2006-2010

Características histomorfológicas e histoquímicas determinantes no diagnóstico da criptococose em animais de companhia

Hyperbranched rolling circle amplification as a rapid and sensitive method for species identification within the Cryptococcus species complex

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