● ACTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY — BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — Last Updated: Tonight 19:47 PST ●
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CORDYCEPTS FUNGAL OUTBREAK Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County, WA
● ACTIVE EMERGENCYIssued: Tonight | CDC Case #: KIT-2025-CDY-0012
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED: Residents of Bainbridge Island are advised to remain indoors and limit contact with others until further notice. CDC field personnel have been deployed to affected areas. Do not approach field personnel directly.
Current Situation
As of this evening, Kitsap County Public Health in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed active Cordycepts fungal colonization at multiple residential sites on Bainbridge Island. Environmental sampling has been completed at six collection sites. Laboratory analysis is currently underway.
This incident represents the first confirmed instance of residential Cordycepts colonization in Kitsap County. CDC Field Operations has dispatched personnel to coordinate containment and treatment protocols.
Background & History of the Cordycepts Threat
Cordycepts fungi have existed on Earth for millions of years. Until recently, they posed no threat to humans — our body temperature of 98.6°F was too warm for any known strain to survive. That changed.
Pre-2020 — Natural StateOphiocordyceps and related genera remained confined to insect hosts, primarily ants. The fungi controlled host behavior — compelling ants to climb to specific heights before killing them — but could not survive the warmer internal environment of mammals. Researchers considered human infection essentially impossible.
2021–2024 — First IndicatorsIndependent laboratory teams in Brazil, Indonesia, and Denmark reported anomalous Cordycepts samples demonstrating increased heat tolerance. Early findings were dismissed as contamination. A 2023 meta-analysis confirmed the pattern was real. The paper received limited attention.
Early 2025 — Adaptation ConfirmedCDC confirmed the emergence of Cordycepts variabilis KIT-2025, a strain demonstrating viability at human body temperature under controlled laboratory conditions. The finding was classified and referred to an emergency working group. The working group's first meeting has not yet concluded.
Tonight — Bainbridge IslandActive colonization confirmed at six residential sites. Strain variants identified. Antitoxin protocols are in development. Field personnel are on site. Some details have been omitted from this report. Others have been omitted because they were worse.
Epidemiological Coverage Map
CDC Epidemiological Situation Report — Kitsap Peninsula. Dark red zones indicate confirmed high-density colonization. Orange: active monitoring. Yellow: precautionary buffer. Bainbridge Island is designated a primary exposure node. Ferry access is under review.
Symptoms
Individuals exposed to Cordycepts KIT-CDY-2025 may experience the following:
Unusual fatigue or disorientation in the days following exposure
Unexplained changes in behavior or decision-making
Heightened sensitivity to ambient light and sound
Compulsive repetitive behaviors
Loss of appetite followed by unusual food cravings
In advanced stages: loss of voluntary motor control and higher cognitive function
Note: Symptom onset varies significantly by strain variant and individual host susceptibility. Do not assume you are uninfected in the absence of symptoms.
What You Should Do
Remain in your primary residence until cleared by CDC personnel
Do not consume any unpackaged or unverified food items
Cooperate fully with all CDC field personnel
Report exposure symptoms immediately to 360-555-0147
Do not attempt to leave Bainbridge Island without written CDC authorization
If you believe you have been exposed, remain calm and await evaluation
Situation Updates
19:47 CDC field personnel confirmed on-site at primary exposure location
18:23 Kitsap County Executive declares local state of emergency
📋 Field Results📁 Documents📬 Messages (3)🔧 Tools❓ Help
📁 RESULTS 0
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STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS — CDC FIELD OPERATIONS INTRANET
🚨ACTIVE DEPLOYMENT NOTICE — BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WATonight
Field operations are active at the Bainbridge Island site. All communications regarding this deployment should be directed to the Field Operations duty officer. Direct inquiries to Agent Farkass's supervisory chain. Do not contact Agent Farkass directly. He is not checking his messages.— Field Operations Command
CDC-issued specimen containers must be used for all field sample collections. This notice follows receipt of field documentation listing, across multiple deployments: a bento box (personal, from agent's car), a travel mug (Starbucks, venti), one piece of Tupperware bearing the handwritten label "MELISSA'S LUNCHES DO NOT USE," and a Ziploc bag described in the field notes as "the good kind, with the double seal." None of these are approved. The Tupperware has still not been located.— Laboratory Standards & Compliance
Field Agent Phil M. Farkass has failed to meet CDC field documentation standards for the fourth consecutive quarter. Reviewed items include: a field report submitted on a Starbucks receipt (timestamped); a sector log written in red crayon; a sample log containing only a phone number (see: Gerald, ongoing); and six minutes of audio described as a voice memo that consists entirely of ambient breathing followed by the phrase "I'm doing great." A performance improvement plan has been issued. Agent Farkass has not acknowledged receipt. We believe he received it.— Field Operations Management
📌PORTLAND INCIDENT — FORMAL INQUIRY CONCLUDED2 weeks ago
The review of the 2023 Portland field documentation incident has concluded. Agent Farkass's submission of field reports in what he described as "a faster version of cursive" has been classified as an Administrative Violation (Level 2). When notified of this determination, Agent Farkass filed a written response. The response was submitted in the same handwriting at a larger size. The inquiry is closed. The handwriting issue is not.— Office of Field Compliance
📌GERALD INVESTIGATION — UPDATE3 days ago
The inquiry into phone number (360) 555-0281, which appeared in field documentation from the Bainbridge Island site in the field labeled "COLLECTION SITE CONTACT," has concluded. The individual, Gerald, is not affiliated with the CDC, has no knowledge of the Bainbridge Island deployment, and is not infected. Gerald was cooperative. Gerald has requested to be removed from all future field documentation. We have honored this request. This concludes the Gerald matter.— Office of Field Compliance
📌DIRECTOR'S COMMUNICATIONS NOTE4 days ago
Director James Donald Trump III has provided a statement regarding the Bainbridge Island outbreak. The statement has been reviewed by the CDC Legal team and the CDC Communications team and the CDC Senior Leadership team. The Legal team has recommended it not be distributed at this time. The Communications team has also recommended it not be distributed. The Senior Leadership team has not finished reading it. We will provide an update when available.— Office of the Director
📌ANNUAL FIELD EQUIPMENT AUDIT — RESULTS1 week ago
Annual field equipment audit is complete. All field agents should confirm their kit contains: (1) CDC-approved specimen containers — DEFICIENCY NOTED; (2) current identification badge — DEFICIENCY NOTED; (3) completed field documentation forms — DEFICIENCY NOTED; (4) the Field Documentation Protocol handbook — DEFICIENCY NOTED (13 copies have been sent to Agent Farkass this year; location of all 13 copies is unknown). Agents with deficiencies will be contacted. If you are Agent Farkass, you are already being contacted. This notice is part of that contact.— Equipment & Compliance Division
📌INTRANET SYSTEM — UPGRADE STATUS6 months ago
The planned upgrade to CDC Field Portal 3.0 has been postponed. The current system (deployed 2003) will remain in service. If you encounter display issues, please use Internet Explorer 6. If you encounter issues with Internet Explorer 6, submit a paper ticket using forms available from the second-floor printer, which correctly prints every other page. If your issue is urgent and cannot wait for the printer, we recommend patience.— IT Infrastructure
🎂BIRTHDAY — Dr. P. Kowalski, Senior Field AnalystToday
Please join us in wishing Dr. Kowalski a happy birthday. A card is available at the front reception desk. Signing is optional. Please do not write "stay safe out there" in the card this year. Four people wrote "stay safe out there" last year. Dr. Kowalski noticed. Dr. Kowalski would like it noted for the record that she noticed.— HR Communications
The Q3 morale survey has been reviewed. Key findings: 84% of field staff report "uncertainty about the future"; 71% cite "inconsistent enforcement of documentation standards"; 67% described field conditions as "difficult" or "extremely difficult"; 1 respondent wrote "I'm doing great" in every text field. HR is preparing a response. The response is taking longer than expected. We appreciate your patience. We also appreciate your continued uncertainty about the future; it is, in this case, warranted.— Human Resources
📌MICROWAVE — Lab Break Room 3B — 4th Notice2 days ago
The microwave in Lab Break Room 3B must be covered during use. This is the fourth notice. Facilities Management has opened a formal investigation into the uncovered microwave incidents. We do not yet know who is responsible. We have narrowed it to someone who works on this floor. The investigation is ongoing. The microwave remains operational. Please cover your food.— Facilities Management
Patient files received: 0 / 6
ACTION REQUIRED — SAMPLE CROSS-REFERENCE
All patient files and field notes have been received from laboratory processing.
A message from the remote laboratory has been received. Read the instructions carefully before proceeding.
This is M.J. Hargrove, Senior Field Analyst. I am going to be direct with you because time is a factor.
Agent Farkass collected samples from six sectors of your property and matched each to a patient petri dish. He did not record which sample corresponds to which patient file. He recorded a phone number. I have spoken with the individual. His name is Gerald. Gerald is not a doctor.
As a result, I cannot match your infection profile to a strain without additional field verification. Without this match, I cannot confirm your expiration sequence. Without your expiration sequence, the antitoxin cannot be administered correctly. An incorrect dose is fatal.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Agent Farkass's field notes — FIELD_NOTES.TXT, available in your file panel — contain descriptions of the six collection sectors on your property. They are not good descriptions. They are the descriptions of a man who was not paying attention. They contain enough information to locate each sector. Barely.
At each sector, there is a sample reference number marked in UV-reactive compound. You will need the UV detection device that has been pre-positioned in your area.
Find each sector. Retrieve the sample reference number. Return here and enter each number against the correct patient file. The system will validate your entries.
Do this quickly. Every minute is a minute you are not treating. — M.J. Hargrove, CDC Laboratory Operations | Currently very busy
PATIENT ID
STRAIN
SECTOR
SAMPLE REFERENCE #
STATUS
0 / 6 verified
EXPIRATION ANALYSIS SYSTEM
Using the constraints in EXPIRATION_PROTOCOL.TXT, determine the expiration hour for each strain. Enter below and submit.
STRAIN
EXTRACTION TIMESTAMP
INCUBATION INDEX
EXPIRATION HOUR
Errors detected. Review flagged entries.
EXPIRATION SEQUENCE — CONFIRMED
#
STRAIN CLASSIFICATION
PATIENT ID
EXPIRATION HOUR
DOSE
⚠ ANTITOXIN PROTOCOL — READ BEFORE ADMINISTERING
Antitoxin doses are calibrated to specific strain aggression levels. Each dose is labeled #1 through #6, where #1 is highest potency. Administering an incorrect potency is fatal.
Administer in strict accordance with the expiration sequence above. The patient expiring first receives Dose #1. The patient expiring last receives Dose #6.
RESTRICTED — PERSONNEL FILE — FIELD AGENT FARKASS, PHIL M.
⚠ CDC CRITICAL UPDATE
“MOST CORDYCEP INFECTIONS FATAL”
— DIRECTOR JAMES DONALD TRUMP III
CDC Field Collection Protocol — Oral Sample Acquisition
Standard Buccal Swab Procedure — Illustrated Reference
