Cryptococcosis is an illness caused by a fungal infection in your lungs, brain or other parts of your body. Its symptoms are usually similar to pneumonia or meningitis. C. gattii and C. neoformans cause it. Anyone can get cryptococcosis, but people with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk. Providers treat it with antifungal medications.
Cryptococcosis is an illness caused by infection with Cryptococcus fungi in your brain or lungs. It can also spread to many areas of your body (disseminated cryptococcosis).
When you have a Cryptococcus infection in your brain, it’s called cryptococcal meningitis. It can cause fever, headaches and neck stiffness. In your lungs, it’s sometimes called cryptococcal pneumonia or pulmonary cryptococcosis. It can cause you to cough and feel like you can’t breathe deeply enough or catch your breath.
Different types of Cryptococcus fungi make different people sick. Cryptococcus neoformans usually only causes people with weakened immune systems to get sick. Cryptococcus gattii can make you sick even if you have a healthy immune system.
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Symptoms of cryptococcosis depend on where the fungus infects you. Lung infections can cause pneumonia-like symptoms, and central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) infections can cause meningitis-like symptoms. Disseminated cryptococcosis causes symptoms in many parts of your body.
If you have disseminated cryptococcosis, you might have lung or central nervous system symptoms as well as skin changes. You might notice:
The fungi Cryptococcus gattii (C. gattii) and Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans) cause cryptococcosis. They live in the environment — in dirt (soil), on trees and in bird poop.
Both C. gattii and C. neoformans are found in many parts of the world. C. gattii is more commonly found in:
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You get cryptococcosis from breathing in Cryptococcus fungi from the air. You can’t see it, and it’s hard to avoid it if you’re in an area where it’s common.
Most people breathe in the fungus without having symptoms. But in some people, the fungus grows in their lungs or travels through their body to their brain, making them sick. Sometimes you can have the fungus in your lungs for a long time, but it only grows and causes symptoms when something (like an illness or medications) weakens your immune system.
No, cryptococcosis isn’t contagious. You can’t get it from another person who’s infected.
C. neoformans is more likely to cause disease in people who have a weakened (compromised) immune system. This includes people who have:
C. gattii can make both people with healthy immune systems and people with compromised immune systems sick.
Cryptococcosis can cause serious complications, especially if you have an infection in your brain. Complications include:
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Providers diagnose cryptococcosis by testing your tissues or body fluids for signs of Cryptococcus fungi. They may test your:
They’ll also use your symptoms, medical and travel history, and imaging to help diagnose cryptococcosis. Depending on your symptoms, you may get chest X-rays, a CT scan (computed tomography scan) or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to look for changes in your lungs or brain.
Providers use antifungals to treat cryptococcosis. Your specific treatment depends on where Cryptococcus is in your body and the health of your immune system. For instance, just one antifungal may be enough treatment for people with mild pulmonary cryptococcosis. But people who are severely ill or have cryptococcal meningitis might need more intense treatment, like multiple antifungal medications over a long period of time.
Specific medications and procedures that can treat cryptococcosis include:
It can be hard to avoid breathing in Cryptococcus if you’re in an area where it’s common. If you’re at a higher risk for getting sick from Cryptococcus, your provider may recommend:
Depending on where you’re infected and how severely sick you are, your provider may need to treat you with antifungal medications for weeks or months to get rid of cryptococcosis. If you have HIV, your provider may need to adjust your antiretroviral treatments. If you have another condition that weakens your immune system, treating the underlying condition may help you fight off cryptococcosis.
Antifungal treatments usually cure people with healthy immune systems. People with compromised immune systems can be harder to cure. Sometimes, your symptoms can come back after treatment.
Mortality (death) rates for treated cryptococcosis in North America (including the U.S. and Canada) are estimated at 20%. But in parts of Africa, it’s estimated to be as high as 70%. What area of the world you live in greatly impacts the healthcare that’s available to you. That means people in economically disadvantaged parts of the world often have higher mortality rates for many diseases.
The best way to take care of yourself is to treat any conditions you have that might weaken your immune system. Keep up with scheduled appointments with your healthcare providers. Ask them about ways to identify signs or symptoms of infection. Talk to them about how to prevent infections and what you should do if you think you have one.
If you have a condition that weakens your immune system, such as HIV, ask your provider how you can prevent illness. See a provider right away if you have a weakened immune system and you have symptoms of cryptococcosis or any other infection.
Go to the emergency room if you have symptoms of a severe illness, including:
If you have a weakened immune system, ask your provider what symptoms should prompt you to go to the ER. You may need emergency care right away or with less severe symptoms than what’s listed here.
It might be helpful to ask your healthcare provider:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection that can be serious in people with compromised immune systems. But a provider can test you or give you preventive medications if you’re at a higher risk of getting sick. And thanks to advances in treatment, people living with HIV today have less risk of getting serious illnesses. Working together with your provider, you can make a plan to keep yourself as healthy as possible.
Last reviewed on 05/30/2023.
Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy