Maternal–Fetal Transmission of Cryptococcus gattii in Harbor Porpoise | CDC EID

EID Journal Home > Volume 17, Number 2–February 2011

Volume 17, Number 2–February 2011
Letter
Maternal–Fetal Transmission of Cryptococcus gattii in Harbor Porpoise
Stephanie A. Norman, Stephen Raverty, Erin Zabek, Sandra Etheridge, John K.B. Ford, Linda M.N. Hoang, and Muhammad Morshed

Author affiliations: Marine-Med: Marine Research, Epidemiology, and Veterinary Medicine, Bothell, Washington, USA (S.A. Norman); Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Greenbank, Washington, USA (S.A. Norman); British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada (S. Raverty, E. Zabek, S. Etheridge); Fisheries and Oceans, Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (J.K.B. Ford); British Columbia Center for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (L.M.N. Hoang, M. Morshed); and University of British Columbia, Vancouver (L.M.N. Hoang, M. Morshed)

Suggested citation for this article

To the Editor: We report maternal–fetal transmission of Cryptococcus gattii and death in a wild porpoise. Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii are 2 environmental, encapsulated yeasts that cause invasive, potentially life-threatening infections in humans and animals (1). C. neoformans causes disease in immunocompromised hosts, and C. gattii is also pathogenic in immunocompetent hosts (2). Since 1999, cryptococcosis caused by C. gattii has appeared on southern Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada) and nearby surrounding areas (2,3). Spread beyond Vancouver Island has been documented along the Pacific Northwest Coast, but the mechanism remains undetermined (4).

A pregnant, dead, stranded, harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) was reported on February 22, 2007, on western Whidbey Island, in Puget Sound, Washington State (48.2833°N, 122.7283°W). The carcass was iced and necropsy was performed on February 24. Sampled tissues from the adult and fetus were divided: half fixed in 10% formalin for histopathologic analysis, and half frozen for ancillary studies.


full-text:
Maternal–Fetal Transmission of Cryptococcus gattii in Harbor Porpoise | CDC EID


Suggested Citation for this Article
Norman SA, Raverty S, Zabek E, Etheridge S, Ford JKB, Hoang LMN, et al. Maternal–fetal transmission of Cryptococcus gattii in harbor porpoise [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Feb [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/17/2/304.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1702.101232


Comments to the Authors
Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

Stephanie A. Norman, Marine-Med: Marine Research, Epidemiology, and Veterinary Medicine, 24225 15th Pl SE, Bothell, WA 98021, USA; email: whaledoctor@gmail.com