New Deadly Fungus and Contradictory News

National Geographic: New Deadly Fungus Found in U.S., Has Already Killed Six- Infections from a new strain are unpreventable... and the strain is spreading.

Google and ABC: Fatal Fungus Cryptococcus Gattii: Experts Say Fears Overblown

According to National Geographic, a new strain of deadly fungus found in Oregon that kills 25% of those infected ... "No one knows how the species got to North America or how the fungus can thrive in a temperate region, experts say. ... The alarming thing is that it's occurring in this region, it's affecting healthy people, and geographically it's been expanding,"

Conversely, according to a link to ABC from Google's front news page, there is nothing to worry about.

As far as the fear of fatal fungi, Alcabes of Hunter College pointed out that the strain is likely to fade out soon. "In most cases, when new strains arise, they are transient," he says.... Certainly, he said, "it's worth asking, 'Is there some new risk here?'" But in this particular case, he said, "I see no new threat at all, just a slightly different name for an existing, and rather rare, danger."As far as the fear of fatal fungi, Alcabes of Hunter College pointed out that the strain is likely to fade out soon ... In most cases, when new strains arise, they are transient," he says. "

If you take the time to read the two articles, you'll see that they are clearly contradictory. ABC's expert says that the fungus is likely to fade out soon, however the co-author of the study says the opposite. Common sense tells me that ABC's expert pundit Prof. Alcabes is not entitled to make longevity pronouncements on a new strain of fungus that somehow made from New Guinea to Oregon and managed to mutate. There are too many unknowns and Alcabes did not do the referenced study. Have a look at the articles.

In a previous blog entry "The US Is Heating Up" I proposed that Google appears to be influencing the news per their own the agenda by selectively posting links to news items. This may be another case. Google, Microsoft, Intel and Yahoo along with thousands of other high-tech companies are located in the region ... i.e. Washington State and Northern California. My question is whether or not Google links an article which trivializes the threat for business reasons like recruitment and property values. That is certainly a reason to evaluate the news that Google constantly flashes on our screen.

In my opinion, given the available data, Google should have at least presented both sides regarding this potential emerging threat. My own trust leans towards National Geographic and the person who did the study, rather than some professor pundit from ABC's Rolodex. Time will tell.