Cryptococcus albidus Infection in a California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)

Sporadic cases of cryptococcosis have been reported in marine mammals, typically due to Cryptococeus neoformans and, more recently, to Cryptococcus gattii in cetaceans. Cryptococcus (libidos, a ubiquitous fungal species not typically considered to be pathogenic, was recovered from a juvenile California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) rescued near San Francisco Bay, California. Yeast morphologically consistent with a Cryptococcus sp. was identified histologically in a lymph node and C. (libidos was identified by an rDNA sequence from the lung. Infection with C. albidus was thought to have contributed to mortality in this sea lion, along with concurrent bacterial pneumonia. Cryptococcos albidus. should be considered as a potential pathogen with a role in marine mammal morbidity and mortality.