MICRO

Human-Fungus Interaction Modes of Transmission

1. Inhalation
Beneficial effects • Adequate amount of spores
• Food source – i.e. mushrooms • Examples:
• Biosynthetic factories o Systemic fungi
o Antibiotics – i.e. penicillin (Penicillium notatum /
crysogenum) 2. Traumatic implantation
o Food – i.e. bread, alcoholic drinks • Fungi have an opportunity to invade the cutaneous and
• Model organisms – organisms used during performance of vascular system of the host
experimental procedures • Ex. Sporothrix schenkii
• Decomposition – important for returning of nutrients to the
environment from carcass 3. Transmission by fomites

Harmful effects 4. Ingestion
• Destruction • Does not lead to mycoses
o Resistant to osmotic pressure • Only leads to mycotoxicoses
§ Can live in environments with high or low salt and/or
sugar concentrations
o Grow in relatively low moisture and humidity
o Utilization of complex carbohydrates (i.e. starch)

• Diseases
o Hypersensitivity
§ Sensitized host and fungal immunogens (allergen)
§ Depends on allergenicity of fungi
§ Ex. asthma

o Mycotoxicosis
§ Ingestion of food contaminated with mycotoxins
• Mycotoxins – products of normal fungal
metabolism
§ Ex. aflatoxin (fatal)

o Mycetismus
§ Ingestion of poisonous mushroom
§ Ex. Amanita phalloides – death cap

o Mycoses
§ Fungal infection
§ Invasion of the host à disease
§ Major types
• Superficial mycoses
• Subcutaneous mycoses
• Systemic mycoses
• Cutaneous mycoses
• Opportunistic mycoses – for
immunocompromised individuals
§ Sources:
• Environment
o Soil: primary source
§ Geophilic fungi – live naturally in soil
o Water
o Air
• Humans
o Anthrophilic fungi – favor man
• Animals
o Zoophilic fungi – favor animals
o Zoonosis – infection of man from animal
sources