Fungal Diseases

Animals Involved
Birds and mammals

Known Distributions
Worldwide

Probable Means of Spreading
Environmental exposure (decaying vegetation or grains); infection common to people and animals, insignificant as zoonosis

Clinical Manifestations in People
Allergic respiratory signs, especially in people with certain respiratory conditions or immunodeficiencies; allergic sinusitis; pneumonia sometimes with dissemination in immunocompromised (can be fatal); chronic pulmonary disease ± aspergilloma (fungus ball); localized infections of other organs, tissues

Animals Involved
Dogs, cats, horses, marine mammals, other mammals

Known Distributions
Distribution in environment uncertain; clinical cases focal; locally acquired cases reported in parts of North America, Africa, Middle East, India

Probable Means of Spreading
Environmental exposure, organism is most common in moist soil; infection common in people and animals; also reported rarely by animal exposure

Clinical Manifestations in People
Acute to chronic pulmonary disease; skin or bone lesions; meningitis, other syndromes, disseminated disease possible; course mild to severe, some cases fatal

Animals Involved
Cattle, sheep, horses, llamas, dogs, many other mammals

Known Distributions
Especially southwestern USA, Mexico, Central and South America; in arid or semiarid foci; some cases might be acquired outside usual foci

Probable Means of Spreading
Principally environmental exposure (inhalation of arthrospores), including fungal cultures; infection common in people and animals, one unusual case reported after necropsy of horse with disseminated disease

Clinical Manifestations in People
Self­limited, febrile, flu­like illness, sometimes with cough, chest pain in healthy host; serious, possibly life­threatening pulmonary disease or disseminated infection with cutaneous/subcutaneous lesions, persistent meningitis or osteomyelitis, especially in immunocompromised

Animals Involved
Birds including pigeons, psittacines (mainly grows in guano; temporary colonization of intestinal tract also possible); clinical cases in cats, other mammals

Known Distributions
Worldwide

Probable Means of Spreading
Principally environmental exposure, especially pigeon nests for C neoformans, trees for C gattii; via inhalation or through the skin; infection common in people and animals, insignificant as zoonosis

Clinical Manifestations in People
Respiratory signs, mild to severe, often self­ limiting in healthy host but more likely to be severe in immunocompromised; dissemination with CNS disease, ocular signs, other syndromes, most often in immunocompromised; skin lesions, either localized from inoculation (uncommon) or from disseminated disease

Animals Involved
Dogs, cats, bats, cattle, sheep, horses, many other domestic and wild mammals, birds

Known Distributions
Worldwide; clinical cases often cluster in regional foci

Probable Means of Spreading
Principally environmental exposure, avian or bat feces encourage growth of organism; infection common in people and animals; insignificant as zoonosis

Clinical Manifestations in People
Flu­like, febrile illness, usually self­-limiting in healthy hosts; skin lesions; chronic pulmonary disease, usually with preexisting lung disease; dissemination in very young, elderly, immunocompromised

Animals Involved
Dogs, cats, other animals

Known Distributions
Worldwide

Probable Means of Spreading
Exposure to symptomatic animals; normal levels on skin not thought to be a significant risk

Clinical Manifestations in People
Dermatitis; zoonotic strains might be implicated in fungemia in preterm neonates, other immunocompromised

Animals Involved
Dogs, cats, hedgehogs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, rodents, other mammals, birds, very rarely reptiles

Known Distributions
Worldwide

Probable Means of Spreading
Direct skin/hair contact with infected animals, fomites

Clinical Manifestations in People
Skin and hair lesions, usually pruritic; rare skin dissemination in immunocompromised

Animals Involved
Cats, other mammals, birds

Known Distributions
Worldwide; epizootics in cats in South America

Probable Means of Spreading
Primarily environmental in vegetation, wood, soil; inoculation from environment in penetrating wounds (splinters, bites, pecks), skin contact with lesions, especially in cats; bites, scratches, other close contact implicated during feline epidemics; inhalation rare

Clinical Manifestations in People
Papules, pustules, nodules, ulcerative skin lesions, may follow course of draining lymphatics; mucosa can be affected; extracutaneous involvement, especially
bones, joints; disseminated disease (including meningitis) can be seen in immunocompromised; acute or chronic pulmonary disease resembling tuberculosis after inhalation, especially with underlying lung disease (rare)