Fungal Pathogens of Humans

Thomas G Mitchell, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Published online: September 2002

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0000359

Fungi may cause human disease by establishing an infection, inducing an allergic response or producing a toxin. Most pathogenic fungi are free-living saprophytes and are only incidental pathogens of humans. The mycoses or fungal infections with the highest prevalence are caused by the few fungi that are part of the normal microbial flora or that are highly adapted for survival on the human host. There are a number of strategies for their diagnosis and management.

Keywords: mycosis; fungal infection; yeast; mould

Figure 1. Yeast cells of Candida species.
Figure 2. Tinea (pityriasis) versicolor.
Figure 3. Microscopic appearance of the short hyphae and spherical yeasts of Malassezia furfur causing tinea (pityriasis) versicolor.
Figure 4. Lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis.
Figure 5. Cutaneous and subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis due to Alternaria.
Figure 6. Cutaneous blastomycosis.
Figure 7. Paronychia due to Candida species.
Figure 8. Direct microscopic examination of centrifuged cerebrospinal fluid from a 10-month-old infant with meningitis, revealing yeasts and pseudohyphae indicative of candidiasis.
Figure 9. Cutaneous cryptococcosis.
Figure 10. Hyphae of Aspergillus fumigatus (identified after subsequent culture) in the sputum of a patient with acute pulmonary aspergillosis. Typical appearance of vegetative hyphae produced by moulds, whether in culture or tissue, causing an infection.
Figure 11. Hyphae of Aspergillus fumigatus (identified after subsequent culture) in a histopathological section of lung tissue from a patient with pulmonary aspergillosis.
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 References
    book Al-Doory Y and DiSalvo AF (eds) (1992) Blastomycosis. New York: Plenum.
    book Casadevall A and Perfect JR (1999) Cryptococcus neoformans. Washington, DC: ASM Press.
    book Franco MF, Lacaz CS, Restrepo A and Del Negro GMB (eds) (1994) Paracoccidioidomycosis. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.
    Horner WE, Helbling A, Salvaggio JE and Lehrer SB (1995) Fungal allergens. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 8: 161–179.
    book Mitchell TG (1999) "Systemic mycoses". In: Armstrong D and Cohen J (eds) Infectious Diseases, pp. 8.27.1–8.27.18. London: Mosby.
    book Odds FC (1988) Candida and Candidosis. London: Baillière Tindall.
 Further Reading
    book Ajello L and Hay RJ (eds) (1998) Collier L, Balows A and Sussman M (eds) Topley and Wilson's Microbiology and Microbial Infections, 9th edn, Vol 4:Medical Mycology. London: Arnold.
    book Campbell CK, Johnson EM, Philpot CM and Warnock DW (1996) Identification of Pathogenic Fungi. London, Public Health Laboratory Service.
    book de Hoog GS and Guarro J (1995) Atlas of Clinical Fungi. Baarn-Delft, The Netherlands: Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures.
    book Kwon-Chung KJ and Bennett JE (1992) Medical Mycology. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger.
    book McGinnis MR (1980) Laboratory Handbook of Medical Mycology. New York: Academic Press.
    book Mitchell TG (1998) "Medical mycology". In: Brooks GF, Butel JS and Ornston LN (eds) Jawetz, Melnick and Adelberg's Medical Microbiology, pp. 583–616. Norwalk, Connecticut: Appleton & Lange.
    book Murphy JW, Friedman H and Bendinelli M (eds) (1993) Fungal Infections and Immune Responses. New York: Plenum.
    book Rippon JW (1988) Medical Mycology. The Pathogenic Fungi and the Pathogenic Actinomycetes, 3rd edn. Philadelphia: WB Saunders.
    book Smith JMB (1989) Opportunistic Mycoses of Man and Other Animals. Wallingford, UK: CAB International Mycological Institute.
    book St-Germain G and Summerbell RC (1996) Identifying Filamentous Fungi. A Clinical Laboratory Handbook. Belmont, California: Star Publishing.
    book Sutton DA, Fothergill AW and Rinaldi MG (1998) Guide to Clinically Significant Fungi. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins.

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Medical Microbiology | Fungi
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Article Title: Fungal Pathogens of Humans
 
How to Cite close
Mitchell, Thomas G(Sep 2002) Fungal Pathogens of Humans. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0000359]