Population genetic analyses reveal the African origin and strain variation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii.

Among patients with AIDS, leukemia or other cancers, organ or bone marrow transplants, and similar immunocompromising risk factors, the incidence of opportunistic mycoses and the number of different fungal pathogens are increasing dramatically. For many of these fungi, the definition of a species and the recognition of pathogen are highly problematic. Conventional methods of identification are based on morphological and physiological characteristics and are often time-consuming, difficult