Rare tropical fungus spreads to Wash. state

[eridani]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21312664/

Infection begins in lungs and can turn into deadly meningitis

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - A rare tropical fungus that has infected more than 100 people since it appeared in British Columbia six years ago has crossed the border into Whatcom County, health officials say.

Cryptococcus gattii, invisible to the naked eye and found mostly in trees and soil, has infected at least four residents this year, two of them fatally, county health officer Greg Stern said.

Considering how many are exposed to the fungus annually, often in the woods and other outdoor areas, infection remains relatively rare, he and other medical experts said.

"I'm concerned about the emergence of a new disease, but it still is relatively rare and that part is reassuring," Stern said. "Even on Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland, where the assumption would be fairly significant exposure to the spores, very few people get sick."

On the other hand, scientists haven't found a way to reduce the risk of getting the disease, he noted.