title: Risk factors for Cryptococcus gattii infection, British Columbia, Canada.
abstract: To determine whether particular environmental, medical, or behavioral risk factors existed among Cryptcoccus gattii-infected persons compared with the general population, we conducted a sex-matched case-control study on a subset of case-patients in British Columbia (1999-2001). Exposures and underlying medical conditions among all case-patients (1999-2007) were also compared with results of provincial population-based surveys and studies. In case-control analyses, oral steroids (matched odds ratio [MOR] 8.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.74-37.80), pneumonia (MOR 2.71, 95% CI 1.05-6.98), and other lung conditions (MOR 3.21, 95% CI 1.08-9.52) were associated with infection. In population comparisons, case-patients were more likely to be ≥50 years of age (p<0.001), current smokers (p<0.001), infected with HIV (p<0.001), or have a history of invasive cancer (p<0.001). Although C. gattii is commonly believed to infect persons with apparently healthy immune systems, several immunosuppressive and pulmonary conditions seem to be risk factors.
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. laura.macdougall@bccdc.ca
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: MacDougall
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fyfe
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romney
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galanis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D056285:Cryptococcus gattii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires