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Fungi are everywhere – on and
in our bodies and in the air we breathe,
the food we eat and the water we drink.
Fortunately, most of them are harmless;
and some are even essential. Indeed,
fungi are used to make bread, cheese,
beer and wine, and truffles and mushrooms
are also types of fungi.
Occasionally, however, this peaceful
coexistence goes wrong and a harmless
fungal inhabitant becomes troublesome.
We distinguish between fungal infections
of the body surfaces and systemic
fungal infections (which affect the
whole body or an organ).
Fungal
infections of body surfaces
Fungal infections of the skin
are the commonest type of fungal infection.
They are contracted through direct
or indirect contact with other infected
people, animals or soil. As they are
often unsightly and uncomfortable
conditions they can have both physical
and psychological consequences. Well-known
fungal diseases include athlete's
foot, pityriasis versicolor, fungal
infection of the vagina (candidosis)
and fungal nail disease (onychomycosis).
Fungi also play a role in dandruff.
Onychomycosis, for instance, affects
1 to 3% of the population, and is
characterised by discoloration and
thickening of the nail and detachment
of the nail plate from the nail bed.
Toenails, which are frequently the
primary site of infection, are often
thick, yellow and brittle, and debris
accumulates under the nail.
Systemic fungal
infections
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