Health Deadly New Fungus Emerging in Oregon Expected to Spread

[The Helper]

A deadly, airborne new strain of fungus has emerged in Oregon. It has killed nearly one out of four known affected people so far and might also attack animals ranging from dogs to dolphins. And it is likely to spread, researchers now warn.

The new strain known as VGIIc of the fungus Cryptococcus gattii not only targets humans but has also proven capable of infecting dogs, cats, alpacas, sheep and elk. Other strains have even infected porpoises.

Although it can spread to mammals, it does not jump from animal to animal. Instead, people and other animals get it from inhaling spores released by samples of the fungus that infect trees.

"It's in the environment, and we're exposed to the environment," researcher Edmond Byrnes III of Duke University Medical Center told LiveScience. "And the environmental range of this has been expanding."

Read the news here.

 

[13lade619]

the infection... begins...

 

[Wiseman_2]

We must stop this evil environment while we still can!

 

[Vicboy]

the infection... begins...

Same thinking tayo.

 

[FireCat]

That sounds awful.
Well, hopefully they come up with a vaccine!

 

[thewrongvine]

Oh boy, hope they get it fixed soon.
At least it's on the other side of the country...
For now.

~Hai-Bye-Vine~

 

[azareus]

At least i'm in EU. Whew.

 

[Avaleirra]

Uhh... I live pretty nearby in Canada.


Damn.

 

[SineCosine]

All your space are belong to fungi!

 

[Monsterous]

The US Will be infected, it will spread to canada; alaska - THE WORLD.

Fortunately, england will have had enough time to barricade itself from the world and launch itself into space.

Or y'know just get infected too - whatever works.

 

[DDRtists]

We're screwed. It was fun while it lasted...

 

[Azlier]

Has anybody checked if it turns victims into zombies after a certain duration?

 

[Renendaru]

There's actually a fungus that does that. but only to small insects for now. For now...

What it will do is once the spore is inside the ant, or any other insect, it spreads through the body, then at the final stage, move the ant After its death, to a better source of light, to further the spread of the fungus.

 

[Azlier]

There's actually a fungus that does that. but only to small insects for now. For now...

What it will do is once the spore is inside the ant, or any other insect, it spreads through the body, then at the final stage, move the ant After its death, to a better source of light, to further the spread of the fungus.

Yes, I do know about that. Cordiceps or something.

 

[Wummi]

Uhh... I live pretty nearby in Canada.


Damn.

Right next to ya, Avaleirra. Vancouver.

 

[SineCosine]

@Renendaru

Wikipedia it or it never existed >;(

 

[13lade619]

THere is.. it;s on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCOQ0VU24xw

Cordyceps Fungus (tags: mind, control, fungus, ants.)
[youtube]CCOQ0VU24xw[/youtube]

 

[BANANAMAN]

We are as DDRTist aptly put it. Screwed big time.

Nature has effectively flipped us the bird.

 

[SineCosine]

Thousands of types of cordyceps..
And each specializes on one type of species..

Oh, snap!
A human-controlling cordyceps is coming soon!
Fkfkfkfkfkfk

I'm gonna' wet my pants in my sleep tonight =(

[EDIT]
But how can they control the minds of the host?
Spores are..
SPORES!

There's no way it can store so much data about how a particular species functions =/

On a side-note, don't the Chinese use cordyceps in traditional medicine?
Even zombie-fungi have enemies.. THE CHINESE!

[EDIT2]
A deadly, airborne new strain of fungus has emerged in Oregon. It has killed nearly one out of four known affected people so far

Did the infected climb hills or mountains before dying?
Also, how big were the fungi that grew from the dead peoples' heads?

 

[FireCat]

But how can they control the minds of the host?
Spores are..
SPORES!

Maybe, they use mind control?!