title: Some ecological criteria of natural focality of mycotic zoonoses.
abstract: Mycotic zoonoses sensu stricto and mycotic infections acquired from animal polluted environment belong to diseases characterized by the phenomenon of natural focality. On a global scale they comprise 16 different diseases caused by yeast-like organisms, dematophytes, dimorphous agents of systemic mycoses and primarily saprophytic fungi as well. Prevalence of mentioned diseases is influenced by a number of factors concerning not only biology and ecology of pathogenic agents and particular hosts, but also character of specific extra-animal substrates which make possible long-term maintenance or active propagation of agents in the environment. On the basis of their experience and published data as well, the authors present a survey and analysis of these factors, with particular emphasis on very frequent dermatophytozoonoses and some systemic mycoses. They pay attention to different conditions in urbanized and rural areas and to specific situations encountered by man and food producing animals in these areas. They note different ways of heterotrophy of particular agents and their association with vertebrate hosts which they divide into six ecologically different groups. The authors also characterize the environment in which a portion of saproparatrophic circulation of the agent takes place. They also give a survey of animal-connected human mycoses, which may arise due to occupational hazards.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000635:transmission; D001717:Birds; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000635:transmission; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004463:Ecology; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals; D009181:Mycoses / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012423:Rural Health; D014504:Urban Health; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission*