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Types of Fungal Diseases

Fungi are everywhere. There are approximately 1.5 million different species of fungi on Earth, but only about 300 of those are known to make people sick.1,2 Fungal diseases are often caused by fungi that are common in the environment. Fungi live outdoors in soil and on plants and trees as well as on many indoor surfaces and on human skin. Most fungi are not dangerous, but some types can be harmful to health.

Aspergillosis

Microscopy of Aspergillus Fumigatus Caused by the fungus Aspergillus and usually occurs in people with lung diseases or weakened immune systems.


Candidiasis

Photomicrograph of the fungus Candida albicans Caused by the yeast Candida. Candidiasis can occur in the mouth and throat, vagina, or the bloodstream.


C. neoformans infection

A photomicrograph of Cryptococcus neoformans using a light India ink staining preparation.

Caused by Cryptococcus neoformans, which can infect the brain (meningitis) in people with HIV/AIDS.


Fungal eye infections

Photomicrograph showing conidiophores and conidia of the fungus Fusarium verticillioides Different types of fungi can cause eye infections. These are rare but can develop after an eye injury.


Mucormycosis

Microscopy of Apophysomyces, one of the causative agents of mucormycosis.

A rare infection that mainly affects people with weakened immune systems.


Ringworm

Photomicrograph of the dermatophyte Trichophyton mentagrophytes A common fungal skin infection that often looks like a circular rash.

Blastomycosis

Histopathology showing a yeast cell of Blastomyces dermatitidis Caused by the fungus Blastomyces, which lives in moist soil in parts of the United States and Canada.


Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever)

Arthroconidia of Coccidioides immitis

Caused by Coccidioides, a fungus that lives in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America.


C. gattii infection

A photomicrograph of Cryptococcus

Caused by the fungus Cryptococcus gattii, which lives in soil in tropical and sub-tropical areas, the United States Pacific Northwest, and British Columbia.


Histoplasmosis

A photomicrograph of Histoplasma capsulatum isolated from a soil sample. Caused by the fungus Histoplasma, which lives in the environment, often in association with large amounts of bird or bat droppings.


Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP)

Histopathology showing Pneumocystis cysts in the lung of a patient with AIDS Caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii and mainly affects people with weakened immune systems.


Sporotrichosis

Photomicrograph showing Sporothrix schenckii. Caused by the fungus Sporothrix, which lives throughout the world in soil and on plants.

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