CLINICAL MYCOLOGY LAB ISSUES (S CÓRDOBA, SECTION EDITOR) Contribution of the National Mycology Laboratory Network to Surveillance of Cryptococcosis in Argentina Mariana Mazza 1 & Graciela O. Davel 1 & Constanza G. Taverna 1 & Nicolás Refojo 1 & Cristina E. Canteros 1 & Nadia S. Bueno 1 & Guillermina Isla 1 & Ruben A. Abrantes 1 & Alejandra I. Hevia 1 & Adriana I. Toranzo 1 & National Mycology Laboratory Network of Argentina (NMLN) # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2017 Abstract Purpose of Review Cryptococcal meningitis is the most com- mon fungal infection of the central nervous system and the third most frequent neurological complication in AIDS pa- tients. To understand the Argentinean epidemiology of cryp- tococcosis, several efforts have been made by the National Reference Laboratory in Clinical Mycology. Recent Findings In Argentina, reports of distribution and fre- quency of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii isolates are scarce and very little is known about its circulating genotypes and mating types. The National Mycology Laboratory Network and the National Reference Laboratory in Clinical Mycology joined forces to estimate the prevalence of cryptococcosis and to obtain and to analyse epidemiologi- cal data of this important fungal infection. Summary Data presented here were recovered from 1998 to 2016 and represents an approximation to the actual situation of cryptococcosis in Argentina. These results could be useful to design future investigations. Keywords Cryptococcosis . Epidemiology . Argentina . HIV/AIDS . Cryptococcus neoformans . Cryptococcus gattii Introduction Mycology Network In 1997, in Argentina, the Mycology Department, INEI (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas) “Dr. C. G. Malbrán,” ANLIS (Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud), established the National Mycology Laboratory Network (NMLN) [1] whose main objectives are (1) to provide clinical diagnoses to the whole population, (2) to contribute to control mycoses, (3) to participate in the sur- veillance of fungal infections and emerging fungal pathogens, (4) to enable staff to perform standardized laboratory proce- dures and (5) to provide tools for quality diagnoses. Different health institutions offer different medical practices which are associated to a determinate group of fungal infections. Each mycology laboratory must have the expertise and resources to diagnose the fungal infections according to their practices. A general hospital has to be able to determine skin mycoses and mucocutaneous candidiasis (low-complexity laboratories or level 1). Hospitals with neonatology services and intensive care units, neonatal or adults, must be able to solve, in addi- tion, opportunistic fungal infections caused by yeasts (inter- mediate complexity laboratories or level 2). While, high- complexity hospitals offer several services like infectology and oncology, among others, and performs bone marrow or solid organs transplantation, heart surgery, etc. and have to be This article is part of the Topical Collection on Clinical Mycology Lab Issues * Mariana Mazza pnccm@anlis.gov.ar 1 Mycology Department, INEI (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas) “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”, ANLIS (Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud), Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 563, C1282AFF City of Buenos Aires (CABA), Argentina Curr Fungal Infect Rep https://doi.org/10.1007/s12281-017-0301-x