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Kitsap County
Department of Public Health
Emergency Hotline: 360-555-0147 | TTY: 360-555-0148
● ACTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY — BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — PROPERTY VALUES: STABLE — FERRY: OPERATING ON NORMAL SCHEDULE — Last Updated: Tonight 19:47 PST ●
Home / Emergency Preparedness / Active Alerts / Cordycepts Outbreak

CORDYCEPTS FUNGAL OUTBREAK
Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County, WA

● ACTIVE EMERGENCY Issued: 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. This is for your safety and partially for theirs.

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.

The affected area includes six confirmed collection sites within a single residential property. Samples have been collected and submitted to regional laboratory facilities. The collection process is described in field documentation as "completed." We are not providing further characterization of the collection process at this time. A supplemental report is forthcoming. We are not optimistic about the supplemental report.

The six individuals currently residing at the primary exposure site have been assessed and are, in the clinical sense, infected. They have been described in field notes as "cooperative and asking a lot of good questions," which CDC field staff have noted is genuinely unusual and they want it on the record.

We want to be clear that this is a real emergency. It was, briefly, considered a drill. It is not a drill.

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 considered too warm for any known strain to survive. The operative word, in retrospect, was "considered."

Pre-2020 — Natural StateOphiocordyceps and related genera remained confined to insect hosts, primarily ants. The fungi controlled host behavior with what scientists described as "unsettling precision" in papers that received very little attention at the time. Researchers considered human infection essentially impossible. Researchers were working with the information they had.
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 and published its findings in a journal that the relevant decision-makers do not subscribe to.
Early 2025 — Adaptation ConfirmedCDC confirmed the emergence of Cordycepts variabilis KIT-2025, a strain demonstrating viability at human body temperature under controlled conditions. The finding was referred to an emergency working group. The working group has met twice. Both meetings ran long and one was rescheduled.
Tonight — Bainbridge IslandActive colonization confirmed at six residential sites. Field personnel are on-site. Antitoxin protocols are in development. Property values in the affected area are, according to data that no one officially requested, holding steady.

Epidemiological Coverage Map

CDC Epidemiological Situation Report — Kitsap Peninsula showing infection zones
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. The Kingston Ferry Terminal has been flagged as a key transit node and screened accordingly. Ferry service continues on its normal schedule, which is to say, approximately.

Symptoms

Individuals exposed to Cordycepts KIT-CDY-2025 may experience the following. Several of these symptoms may be difficult to distinguish from conditions already prevalent in the area. We have done our best to note where this applies.

  • Unusual fatigue or disorientation in the days following exposure
  • Unexplained changes in behavior or decision-making (Note: for individuals who have recently completed a wellness retreat, detox protocol, or extended social media break, please establish a baseline before drawing conclusions)
  • Heightened sensitivity to ambient light and sound (This symptom is clinically distinct from the documented sensitivity to ferry horn noise reported by residents of the Eagle Harbor area)
  • Compulsive repetitive behaviors (We ask that residents apply careful judgment when self-diagnosing based on morning routines)
  • Loss of appetite followed by unusual food cravings (Cravings for locally-sourced artisan products are not diagnostic on their own)
  • In advanced stages: loss of voluntary motor control and higher cognitive function. This symptom is considered unambiguously diagnostic. If you are experiencing this symptom, please call 360-555-0147 and remain where you are. Do not drive.

What You Should Do

  1. Remain in your primary residence until cleared by CDC personnel. For residents with more than one primary residence, please select one and commit to it for the duration of the emergency.
  2. Do not consume any unpackaged or unverified food items. Items purchased at this morning's Bainbridge Island Farmers Market are considered a personal decision at this stage. We are not in a position to recall a farmers market.
  3. Cooperate fully with all CDC field personnel. You will recognize them by their protective equipment. Do not offer them coffee. They will accept it and this has caused measurable delays in at least one documented deployment.
  4. Report exposure symptoms immediately to 360-555-0147. This line is currently forwarded to a personal cell phone. She is aware of this. Please do not call after 8 PM. She has asked us to include that.
  5. Do not attempt to leave Bainbridge Island without written CDC authorization. Digital authorization is not currently available. We are aware this is inconvenient. Printed authorization can be obtained from our field office, which is wherever Agent Farkass is standing.
  6. If you believe you have been exposed, remain calm and await evaluation. The CDC recommends slow, deep breathing, which has no clinical effect on cordycepts infection rates but has been shown to make people easier to work with.

Epidemiological Coverage Map

CDC Epidemiological Situation Report — Kitsap Peninsula showing infection zones
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. The Kingston Ferry Terminal has been flagged as a key transit node and screened accordingly. Ferry service continues on its normal schedule, which is to say, approximately.

Symptoms

Individuals exposed to Cordycepts KIT-CDY-2025 may experience the following. Several of these symptoms may be difficult to distinguish from conditions already prevalent in the area. We have done our best to note where this applies.

  • Unusual fatigue or disorientation in the days following exposure
  • Unexplained changes in behavior or decision-making (Note: for individuals who have recently completed a wellness retreat, detox protocol, or extended social media break, please establish a baseline before drawing conclusions)
  • Heightened sensitivity to ambient light and sound (This symptom is clinically distinct from the documented sensitivity to ferry horn noise reported by residents of the Eagle Harbor area)
  • Compulsive repetitive behaviors (We ask that residents apply careful judgment when self-diagnosing based on morning routines)
  • Loss of appetite followed by unusual food cravings (Cravings for locally-sourced artisan products are not diagnostic on their own)
  • In advanced stages: loss of voluntary motor control and higher cognitive function. This symptom is considered unambiguously diagnostic. If you are experiencing this symptom, please call 360-555-0147 and remain where you are. Do not drive.

What You Should Do

  1. Remain in your primary residence until cleared by CDC personnel. For residents with more than one primary residence, please select one and commit to it for the duration of the emergency.
  2. Do not consume any unpackaged or unverified food items. Items purchased at this morning's Bainbridge Island Farmers Market are considered a personal decision at this stage. We are not in a position to recall a farmers market.
  3. Cooperate fully with all CDC field personnel. You will recognize them by their protective equipment. Do not offer them coffee. They will accept it and this has caused measurable delays in at least one documented deployment.
  4. Report exposure symptoms immediately to 360-555-0147. This line is currently forwarded to a personal cell phone. She is aware of this. Please do not call after 8 PM. She has asked us to include that.
  5. Do not attempt to leave Bainbridge Island without written CDC authorization. Digital authorization is not currently available. We are aware this is inconvenient. Printed authorization can be obtained from our field office, which is wherever Agent Farkass is standing.
  6. If you believe you have been exposed, remain calm and await evaluation. The CDC recommends slow, deep breathing, which has no clinical effect on cordycepts infection rates but has been shown to make people easier to work with.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Kitsap County Department of Public Health

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND CONFIRMS FIRST RESIDENTIAL CORDYCEPTS OUTBREAK IN CONTINENTAL U.S.; SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET STILL ON

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA —

Following confirmation of an active Cordycepts fungal outbreak at a residential site on Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County Public Health has issued a formal public health emergency. The outbreak, which represents the first confirmed instance of human-viable Cordycepts colonization in the continental United States, has been met with what officials describe as "measured concern" and, according to at least one field agent's notes, "a surprising number of questions about whether this might affect real estate valuations."

"Property values are outside the scope of our assessment," said a Kitsap County spokesperson. Preliminary data from Zillow, which no one at the CDC requested, suggests they are holding.

The CDC has deployed a field team to the primary exposure site. Field team operations are described in official documentation as "ongoing." The field team's own documentation is described by the regional laboratory as "creative." A supplemental review has been opened.

Residents of Bainbridge Island are advised to shelter in place. The Saturday Farmers Market is currently scheduled to proceed as planned. Market organizers have been notified and have requested that the CDC provide a written statement that is, in their words, "not alarming." The CDC has provided a statement. Organizers have requested revisions. The CDC has provided revised statement. Organizers have scheduled a call to discuss.

Ferry service between Bainbridge Island and Seattle is operating on a modified schedule, which is the same as the normal schedule. Seattle has been informed of the situation. Seattle has acknowledged receipt of this information. Seattle has not changed any of its plans.

The six individuals confirmed to be infected were described by field personnel as "cooperative, engaged, and asking genuinely good questions about the science," which CDC officials said was "unusual enough to note formally and we are noting it formally here."

What this means for residents:
  • Remain home
  • Do not share food with neighbors, or anyone
  • Ferry service continues (approximately)
  • Your Pilates instructor is non-essential at this time
  • This is not a drill. It was briefly considered a drill. It is not.

For updates, visit kitsap-county.org or call 360-555-0147. Calls after 8 PM are forwarded to a personal cell phone. Please do not call after 8 PM.
— Kitsap County Department of Public Health
In coordination with the CDC, which is doing its best.

Situation Updates

19:47 CDC field personnel confirmed on-site at primary exposure location. Agent has described conditions as "manageable." We have requested elaboration. Elaboration is pending.
18:23 Kitsap County Executive declares local state of emergency. Declaration shared to the county's social media accounts. Received 47 likes, 3 heart reactions, and one comment reading "Thoughts and prayers 🙏." The county executive has responded to the comment.
17:05 CDC Pacific Northwest office activates emergency response protocols. Two of the three required authorization signatures have been obtained. The third signatory is on the mainland and has not checked their messages.
14:33 Environmental sampling initiated at six residential sites on Bainbridge Island. Sampling containers used are described in field documentation as "varied." We are not elaborating at this time.
11:17 Seattle notified of developing situation on Bainbridge Island. Seattle has acknowledged receipt. Seattle has not changed any of its plans.
09:17 Anomalous fungal growth pattern identified and flagged by laboratory analyst. Analyst has been asked to write up her findings. This page represents her findings.
07:45 Kitsap County Public Health Director notified of developing situation. She was not surprised. We found this surprising and have not yet followed up on it.
📋 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
⚠SPECIMEN CONTAINER POLICY — URGENT REISSUANCE (5th Notice)This week
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
⚠DOCUMENTATION NOTICE — Fourth Formal Notice — Q4 Review Scheduled1 week ago
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
📌Q3 STAFF MORALE SURVEY — RESULTS SUMMARYLast month
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.

SAMPLE VERIFICATION PORTAL
INCOMING TRANSMISSION — CDC LABORATORY OPERATIONS — PACIFIC NORTHWEST
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 IDSTRAINSECTORSAMPLE 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.
STRAINEXTRACTION
TIMESTAMP		INCUBATION
INDEX		EXPIRATION
HOUR
EXPIRATION SEQUENCE — CONFIRMED
#STRAIN CLASSIFICATIONPATIENT IDEXPIRATION HOURDOSE
⚠ 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.