There are more than 60 different species of opossum, which are often called possums. The most notable is the Virginia opossum or common opossumâthe only marsupial (pouched mammal) found in the United States and Canada. A female opossum gives birth to helpless young as tiny as honeybees.
Disseminated cryptococcosis, particularly with peritonitis, is an uncommon manifestation of Cryptococcus neoformans infection. Liver cirrhosis serves as a risk factor for disseminated disease in HIV-negative patients.
There are four cryptococcal serotypes, types A and D belong to Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans and types B and C belong to Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii. Of those, type A is the most common cause of cryptococcal disease in HIV infected and AIDS affected patients (Stevens, 1990). C. neoformans is commonly found in pigeon droppings and less frequently in soil (Levitz, 1991). Bird droppings provide an enriched media for the yeast.