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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

If you have ever had athlete's foot or a yeast infection, you can blame a fungus. A fungus is a primitive organism. Mushrooms, mold and mildew are examples. Fungi live in air, in soil, on plants and in water. Some live in the human body. Only about half of all types of fungi are harmful.

Some fungi reproduce through tiny spores in the air. You can inhale the spores or they can land on you. As a result, fungal infections often start in the lungs or on the skin. You are more likely to get a fungal infection if you have a weakened immune system or take antibiotics.

Fungi can be difficult to kill. For skin and nail infections, you can apply medicine directly to the infected area. Oral antifungal medicines are also available for serious infections.

Start Here

• Fungal Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Fungal Culture Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Rash Evaluation (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Skin Rashes and Other Skin Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Sputum Culture (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Fungus Infections: Preventing Recurrence (American Osteopathic College of Dermatology)
• Risk Factors for Fungal Diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Related Issues

• Guidance for Investigating Fungal Disease Outbreaks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

• About Cryptococcosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• About Fungal Meningitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Blastomycosis Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Fungal Sinusitis (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
• Mucormycosis Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Nail Fungal Infections (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Nail Fungus (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Ringworm and Fungal Nail Infections Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Sporotrichosis Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Tinea Versicolor (American Academy of Dermatology)
• What Is Fungal Keratitis? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Images

• Fungal Nail Infection (Onychomycosis) (VisualDX)
• Tinea Versicolor (VisualDX)

Statistics and Research

• Fungus Among Us (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Histoplasmosis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Mycoses (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Epidemiology and antifungal susceptibilities of rare yeast infections in a tertiary...
• Article: Multicenter Case-Control Study of Behavioral, Environmental, and Geographic Risk Factors for...
• Article: Fungi and cancer: unveiling the complex role of fungal infections in...
• Fungal Infections -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Children

• Fungal Diseases (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Blastomycosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Cryptococcosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Fungal nail infection (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mucormycosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Sputum fungal smear (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Tinea versicolor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish