Cryptococcosis: An emerging infectious disease of global public health importance (original) (raw)

Cryptococcosis is an emerging deadly systemic disease caused by Cryptococcus, which is basidiomycetous, encapsulated yeast that occurs as a saprobe in nature. Only two species are known to cause disease from the genus Cryptococcus: Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. The source of infection is exogenous and the respiratory tract acts as the chief portal entry of fungus. The mode of disease getting from the contaminated environment is by inhalation of infectious fungal agent. An array of clinical spectrum of disease is reported in humans.