Epidemiological and immunological studies of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Walter, Jinks E. (University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.), and Robert W. Atchison. Epidemiological and immunological studies of Cryptococcus neoformans. J. Bacteriol. 92:82-87. 1966.-The complement-fixation fluorescent-antibody test provided a means of differentiating between antibodies of Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans. The test was applied to the sera of 134 pigeon fanciers for detection of antibodies to C. neoformans only. About 22% were positive as compared with 3% of a control group composed of 36 non-pigeon breeders. Positive reactions were observed only with C. neoformans types A and B cells. It was concluded that the pigeon fanciers had presumably been infected previously with C. neoformans type A or type B. Moreover, 48 of 49 isolates of C. neoformans cultured from the pigeon habitats of 72 fanciers studied were serotype A. These findings would seem to substantiate the hypothesis that pigeon habitats serve as reservoirs for human infections, and also that subclinical cryptococcosis is more prevalent than is realized.