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Review
. 2021 Dec;131(6):2688-2704.
doi: 10.1111/jam.15084. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

A global view on fungal infections in humans and animals: infections caused by dimorphic fungi and dermatophytoses

S Gnat  1 , D Łagowski  1 , A Nowakiewicz  1 , M Dyląg  2
Affiliations
Review

A global view on fungal infections in humans and animals: infections caused by dimorphic fungi and dermatophytoses

S Gnat et al. J Appl Microbiol. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Fungal infections are still underappreciated and their prevalence is underestimated, which renders them a serious public health problem. Realistic discussions about their distribution, symptoms, and control can improve management and diagnosis and contribute to refinement of preventive actions using currently available tools. This article represents an overview of dermatophytes and endemic fungi that cause infections in humans and animals. In addition, the impact of climate change on the fungal spread is discussed. The endemic fungal infections characterized in this article include coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, lobomycosis, emergomycosis and sporotrichosis. Moreover the geographic distribution of these fungi, which are known to be climate sensitive and/or limited to endemic tropical and subtropical areas, is highlighted. In turn, dermatophytes cause superficial fungal infections of skin, hairs and nails, which are the most prevalent mycoses worldwide with a high economic burden. Therefore, the possibility of causing zoonoses and reverse zoonoses by dermatophytes is highly important. In conclusion, the article illustrates the current issues of the epidemiology and distribution of fungal diseases, emphasizing the lack of public programmes for prevention and control of these types of infection.

Keywords: dermatophytes; dimorphic fungi; epidemiology; fungal infections; geographical distribution; risk factors.

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