Needle Cast Pines

I was working today on one of my teachers Dwarf Austrian pines that has needle cast, cleaning dead needles, thinning and whatnot. How communicable is needle cast? Should I disinfect the tools? Will it spread to my pines at home from my clothes or hands?

Twisted,

Pine needle cast is a a fungal disease and can be spread by the spores that are on the tree, particularly the needles. It is recommended to burn all material that is removed from the tree. As such, it can be communicable and transmitted by you, your clothing, and tools to other trees. It would be wise to take shower and then wash or clean both your clothes and tools. There are a number of fungi that can be associated with needle cast so I would recommend that you google "pine tree needle cast disease" and you should be directed to publications by multiple universities on the subject.