Fungi are everywhere, but only some cause disease.^[13] Fungal infection occurs after spores are either breathed in, come into contact with skin or enter the body through the skin such as via a cut, wound or injection.^[3] It is more likely to occur in people with a weak immune system.^[14] This includes people with illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, and people taking medicines such as steroids or cancer treatments.^[14] Fungi that cause infections in people include yeasts, molds and fungi that are able to exist as both a mold and yeast.^[3] The yeast Candida albicans can live in people without producing symptoms, and is able to cause both superficial mild candidiasis in healthy people, such as oral thrush or vaginal yeast infection, and severe systemic candidiasis in those who cannot fight infection themselves.^[3]


Diagnosis is generally based on signs and symptoms, microscopy, culture, sometimes requiring a biopsy and the aid of medical imaging.^[6] Some superficial fungal infections of the skin can appear similar to other skin conditions such as eczema and lichen planus.^[7] Treatment is generally performed using antifungal medicines, usually in the form of a cream or by mouth or injection, depending on the specific infection and its extent.^[15] Some require surgically cutting out infected tissue.^[3]


Fungal infections have a world-wide distribution and are common, affecting more than one billion people every year.^[11] An estimated 1.7 million deaths from fungal disease were reported in 2020.^[12] Several, including sporotrichosis, chromoblastomycosis and mycetoma are neglected.^[16]


A wide range of fungal infections occur in other animals, and some can be transmitted from animals to people.^[17]

Treatment[edit]

Treatment depends on the type of fungal infection, and usually requires topical or systemic antifungal medicines.^[15] Pneumocystosis that does not respond to anti-fungals is treated with co-trimoxazole.^[29] Sometimes, infected tissue needs to be surgically cut away.^[3]

Epidemiology[edit]

Worldwide, every year fungal infections affect more than one billion people.^[11] An estimated 1.6 million deaths from fungal disease were reported in 2017.^[30] The figure has been rising, with an estimated 1.7 million deaths from fungal disease reported in 2020.^[12] Fungal infections also constitute a significant cause of illness and mortality in children.^[31]


According to the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections, every year there are over 10 million cases of fungal asthma, around 3 million cases of long-term aspergillosis of lungs, 1 million cases of blindness due to fungal keratitis, more than 200,000 cases of meningitis due to cryptococcus, 700,000 cases of invasive candidiasis, 500,000 cases of pneumocystosis of lungs, 250,000 cases of invasive aspergillosis, and 100,000 cases of histoplasmosis.^[32]