|
|
Article: Blastomycosis-a primer.(RESPIRATORY CLINICAL KEEPER)
- Article from:
- FOCUS: Journal for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine
- Article date:
- September 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Focus Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Fungi have the capacity to cause many diseases. From a respiratory standpoint some of these diseases occur when fungal spores are inhaled and proliferate in the lungs of humans. An interesting fact about fungi is they cause disease as a parasite, but the parasitic phase is not essential to their life cycle. They are first and foremost saprophytes, (organisms that thrive on decaying organic matter). They become parasites only if their spores encounter an environment suitable for that life form.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Medically, four types of fungal infections, called mycoses, occur. They are (1) cutaneous mycoses, (2) dermatomycoses, (3) subcutaneous ...