Fungi form part of the community of microbes that live in and on us where they play a beneficial role in human health. However, some fungal species can cause fungal disease in people with compromised immune systems or chronic lung disorders.
Fungi form part of the community of microbes that live in and on us where they play a beneficial role in human health. However, some fungal species can cause fungal disease in people with compromised immune systems or chronic lung disorders.
Medical Mycologists are studying the biology of fungal species that can cause human disease, and how the human immune system combats these infections, with the aim of informing the development of diagnostic tests, treatments, and vaccines to prevent and improve the outcome of fungal infections. Scientists are also researching the role that the mycobiome can play in other diseases. Some conditions that have been attributed to the presence of fungi in and on our bodies are scientifically proven to be true, while others lack scientific evidence.
If you would like to learn more about fungal disease, and conditions linked to fungi, we recommend the following resources:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have produced guides to fungal diseases and antifungal resistance.
Dr Fungus is an educational resource produced by the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSGERC). The Dr Fungus Knowledge Base contains a series of well referenced information pages, including a discussion on the controversies around the so-called ‘Candida Syndrome’, as well as common questions and answers.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have produced a number of reports and risk assessments on fungal disease.
The Global Action Fund for Fungal infections (GAFFI) have produced Fact Sheets about the fungal infections that is has identified as its highest priorities.
The International Society of Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) lists links to some of the key guidelines about treatment of fungal disease and related topics.
LIFE (Leading International Fungal Education) have produced comprehensive resources on fungal infections.
A number of articles on the risk from fungal infections and antifungal resistance have been produced by The World Health Organisation (WHO).
Author Mary McKenna has written an article for the journal Scientific American on how fungi are the newest emerging microbe threat.