Fungal meningitis Cryptococcal meningitis 2018-12-09T12:26:39Z Cryptococcus yeasts are ubiquitous in the environment and are acquired by inhalation. In the immunocompromised host, reactivation of latent disease is believed to be responsible for the subsequent development of cryptococcal disease. For instance, in persons with depletion of CD4+ T cells, the ability of the immune response to adequately contain cryptococcal infection is impaired. A type of fungal meningitis caused by an encapsulated yeast that belongs to the genus Cryptococcus. Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are responsible for the majority of cases of human cryptococcosis.