First report of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii serotype B from Greece

A plethora of cases of Cryptococcus neoformans infections have been recorde d worldwide in immunocompromised individuals. The number of such cases show ed a steady rise before 1981 and increased dramatically thereafter due to t he AIDS epidemic. A similar pattern has been seen in Greece but, so far, in fections appear to have been caused by C. neoformans var. neoformans. This paper describes for the first time two culture-proven C. n. var. gattii ser otype B infections in Greece, one in an AIDS patient and one in a patient w ith systemic lupus erythematosus.