ENVIRONMENTAL ISOLATION OF CRYPTOCOCCUS-NEOFORMANS VAR. NEOFORMANS FROM VELLORE

We have isolated C.neoformans from various environmental niches, inclu ding our hospital environment. Twenty one samples of weathered pigeon droppings and 86 samples of Eucalyptus bark and debris were collected from various sites around tile hospital and college. C.neoformans var. neoformans was isolated from 14 of the 21 (67%) samples of weathered droppings of pigeons collected from the ledges of windows of wards and departmental buildings in tile hospital. C.neoformans was not isolate d from any of the Eucalyptus samples. These findings document for the first time the presence of C.neoformans var. neoformans in the hospita l environment. Although ubiquitous in the environment, its presence Ii i hospital surroundings stresses the need for systematic cleaning of s ites inhabited by pigeons. However, ive failed to isolate C.neoformans from the limited number of Eucalyptus samples examined.