隱球菌型腦膜炎被認為是透過肺部的感染擴散造成的。Cryptococcus gattii可感染免疫功能正常者。而兩種新型隱球菌(C. neoformans v. grubii及C. v. neoformans)通常只能感染免疫功能低下者。細胞免疫缺陷者(如愛滋病患者)猶為易感播散性隐球菌病。隱球菌病通常是致命的,特別是沒有接受治療的情況下。
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