Factsheets

Recent data has it that annually, over 2,113,000 people develop invasive aspergillosis in the context of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, intensive care, lung cancer, or haematological malignancy, with a crude annual mortality of 1,801,000 (85·2%). The annual incidence of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis was estimated at 1,837,272, with 340,000 (18·5%) deaths, while 1,565,000 people were estimated to have a Candida bloodstream infection or invasive candidiasis each year, with 995,000 deaths (63·6%).

Pneumocystis pneumonia is implicated in about 505,000 people, with 214,000 deaths (42·4%) and cryptococcal meningitis in 194,000 people, with 147,000 deaths (75·8%). Approximately 11·5 million people are affected with fungal asthma and might contribute to 46,000 asthma deaths annually. The updated estimates suggest an annual incidence of 6·5 million invasive fungal infections and 3·8 million deaths, of which about 2·5 million (68%; range 35–90) were directly attributable.

Click to watch a LIFE Worldwide lecture on the global burden of fungal diseases.

Fungal infections & allergies

	Candidaemia, Candida peritonitis and invasive candidiasis Cryptococcal meningitis Pneumocystis pneumonia Invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis Invasive fungal rhinosinusitis Disseminated histoplasmosis Acute pulmonary histoplasmosis Talaromycosis
	Sinuses: fungal ball and chronic granulomatous FRS Eyes: keratitis and endophthalmitis Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) Chronic cavitary pulmonary histoplasmosis Adrenal histoplasmosis Endemic mycoses: Coccidioidomycosis, Paracoccidioidomycosis and Blastomycosis
	Oral Oesophageal Vaginitis Balanitis (penis)
	Occupational lung disease ABPA SAFS and fungal asthma Thunderstorm asthma Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis
	Tinea Onychomycosis (nails) Otomycosis (ears) Implantation mycoses
	Chromoblastomycosis Mycetoma Sporotrichosis

Disease-causing fungi

Over 600 species of fungi have been linked with disease, but fewer than 30 species cause over 99% of infections. While many species of fungi are able to cause disease in humans, few of them are true pathogens – most are opportunistic and grow only rarely, in severely immunocompromised patients. Implantation mycoses can be caused by many different species of fungi.

Some species can exist in either a yeast or a filamentous form and are therefore called ‘dimorphic’ (e.g. Histoplasma). Some have atypical forms, for example Pneumocystis can form so-called cysts and trophozoites (named after parasite life forms). For additional species or details please visit Aspergillus&Aspergillosis, Mycology online or Doctor Fungus. For more information about emerging fungal pathogens please see Friedman & Schwartz (2019). You can also access a wealth of information via the Fungus Education Hub.

Candida Candida auris Cryptococcus Rhodotorula Malassezia	Talaromyces Blastomyces Coccidioides Histoplasma Paracoccidioides Pneumocystis	Aspergillus Fusarium Trichophyton Alternaria Cladosphialophora Apophysomyces Fonsecaea Rhizopus Microsporum

Characteristic appearance of key fungi