Treatment for C. gattii Infection

How are C. gattii infections treated?

People who have C. gattii infection need to take prescription antifungal medication for at least 6 months, often longer. The type of treatment usually depends on the severity of the infection and the parts of the body that are affected.

• For people who have asymptomatic infections or mild-to-moderate pulmonary infections, the treatment is usually fluconazole.
• For people who have severe lung infections or infections in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), the recommended initial treatment is amphotericin B in combination with flucytosine. After that, patients usually need to take fluconazole for an extended time to clear the infection.

The type, dose, and duration of antifungal treatment may differ for certain groups of people, such as pregnant women, children, and people in resource-limited settings. Some people may also need surgery to remove fungal growths (cryptococcomas).

Healthcare providers please click here to see the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Cryptococcal Disease [PDF – 32 pages]