Medical Cannabis as the Source of Cryptococcus neoformans Infection.

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Genomics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen.
• Medical cannabis use is increasing, particularly among immunocompromised patients.
• Infections linked to medical cannabis have rarely been definitively identified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the source of Cryptococcus neoformans infection in an immunocompromised patient.
• To determine if medical cannabis was the source of the fungal infection.
• To establish a definitive link between medical cannabis and a specific pathogen using whole genome sequencing.

Main Methods:

• Whole genome sequencing was performed on Cryptococcus neoformans isolates.
• Isolates were obtained from the patient's cerebrospinal fluid and larynx.
• Isolates were also obtained from the patient's medical cannabis.

Main Results:

• The Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A isolates from the patient (cerebrospinal fluid and larynx) and their medical cannabis were indistinguishable.
• This represents the first definitive molecular link between a patient's fungal infection and their medical cannabis product.

Conclusions:

• Medical cannabis can harbor pathogenic fungi like Cryptococcus neoformans.
• Immunocompromised patients using medical cannabis are at risk of fungal infections originating from their cannabis.
• Whole genome sequencing is a powerful tool for identifying pathogen sources in clinical settings.