ABSTRACT
Over 100 fungal species have been recorded as human pathogens that can cause superficial to life-threatening infections. While infections due to Candida and Aspergillus spp. are the most common, recently a number of otherwise rarely encountered opportunistic fungi have emerged as significant pathogens. As examples, Trichosporon beigelii, Fusarium spp. Pseudallescheria boydii, and molds of the class Zygomycetes can cause invasive infections. In addition to the opportunistic fungi, a limited number of fungi, viz., Histoplasma capsulatum, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Penicillium mameffei, and Coccidioides immitis, occur in various endemic regions with pathogenic potential for healthy hosts and may cause life-threatening infections [1-4].
