Cryptococcal disease is caused by a fungus.
Most people have been exposed to this organism, which is found in soil contaminated by bird droppings, but it usually does not cause disease in healthy people. The majority of people with cryptococcal meningitis have immune systems that are damaged by disease, such as AIDS, or suppressed by drugs. The organism can infect almost all organs in the body, although it most commonly causes disease of the meninges, skin, or lungs. Symptoms and Diagnosis Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common cryptococcal infection in people with AIDS, affecting about one out of every ten patients. The first symptoms of this infection are fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and headache.