title: The spectrum of fungi that infects humans.
abstract: Few among the millions of fungal species fulfill four basic conditions necessary to infect humans: high temperature tolerance, ability to invade the human host, lysis and absorption of human tissue, and resistance to the human immune system. In previously healthy individuals, invasive fungal disease is rare because animals' sophisticated immune systems evolved in constant response to fungal challenges. In contrast, fungal diseases occur frequently in immunocompromised patients. Paradoxically, successes of modern medicine have put increasing numbers of patients at risk for invasive fungal infections. Uncontrolled HIV infection additionally makes millions vulnerable to lethal fungal diseases. A concerted scientific and social effort is needed to meet these challenges.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: Julia R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.affiliation: Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York 10461.
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casadevall
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perfect
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D005658:Fungi / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D009181:Mycoses / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence / Q000502:physiology