The Pacific Northwest made a strong appearance in the news this week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on the emergence of a deadly fungus there. Cryptococcus gattii, which grows on and around trees, is usually found in the tropics but recently cropped up in British Columbia and appears to be spreading southward. Some 43 human cases of C. gattii infection have been reported in Oregon since 2004.
This micrograph from the CDC shows changes in the lung associated with cryptococcosis, acquired by inhalation of the fungus and its relatives.