Serotype B/C Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from patients in nonendemic areas.

Of 90 clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans studied, 3 were determined to be serotype B/C. The patients from whom these B/C isolates were obtained were identified as never having lived in or visited the areas associated with B/C serotypes. This finding suggests a broader geographic distribution of this serotype group than previously believed. The glycine-cycloheximide-phenol red medium described by Salkin and Hurd (J. Clin. Microbiol. 15:169-171, 1982) was shown to be more accurate in differentiating A/D and B/D serotype pairs of C. neoformans than the creatinine-dextrose-bromthymol blue medium described by Kwon-Chung et al. (Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 28:616-620, 1978).