Lung Fungus Symptoms

Fungal lung infections are difficult to treat, because fungal cells are very similar to human cells (eukaryotic). This makes it challenging to find drugs to attack the pathogen, without doing harm to the host. Pathogenic fungi are often dimorphic, meaning they can grow either as molds or yeasts, depending on temperature, they thrive at human body temperature and they do well in the moist conditions found in human tissues. Fungal lung infections are often mistaken for something else such as bacterial pneumonia, tuberculosis, influenza or even cancer. Sometimes a fungal infection can exist for some time before a correct diagnosis is made (although this does not happen as often as it used to). No matter what fungus is involved, the symptoms are very similar.

Endemic invaders have special adaptations and characteristics allowing them to infect just about anyone who is exposed. People inhale dozens, hundreds or even thousands of fungal spores every day, depending on environmental conditions. Immunity to fungi is generally strong, but a few species can establish growth in the lung tissue of healthy hosts.

The endemic species are associated with specific geographic locales, and specific substrates (such as bird droppings). Examples of endemic pathogenic fungi and the mycoses they cause are: Coccidioides immitis (coccidiomycosis), Histoplasma capsulatum (histoplasmosis) and Blastomyces dermatitidis (blastomycosis).

Opportunistic fungal pathogens rarely cause disease in healthy hosts. They may be established by breathing in spores, injection into the body through a traumatic injury or by colonizing severely damaged or burned tissues.

People with weakened immune systems are susceptible to infection by opportunistic fungi. Cancer patients, immunocompromised patients suffering from HIV/AIDS or those who are on a course of immunosuppressive drugs before and after organ transplant, or bone marrow transplant, are at risk.

Often encountered opportunistic fungi and the mycoses they cause include: Aspergillus spp. (aspergillosis) and Cryptococcus neoformans (cryptococcosis).