ABSTRACT
The kingdom of Fungi comprises a number of species that are associated with a wide spectrum of diseases in humans and animals, ranging from allergy and autoimmunity to life-threatening infections. Most fungi (such as the pathogenic Histoplasma capsulatum, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Pneumocystis carinii) are ubiquitous in the environment. Some, including Candida albicans, establish lifelong commensalism on human body surfaces. Not surprisingly, therefore, human beings are constantly exposed to fungi, primarily through inhalation or traumatic implantation of fungal elements.
