RT Book, Section A1 Ryan, Kenneth J. SR Print(0) ID 1148677163 T1 The Systemic Fungal Pathogens: Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Coccidioides, Paracoccidioides T2 Sherris Medical Microbiology, 7e YR 2017 FD 2017 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259859809 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1148677163 RD 2024/03/29 AB The fungi discussed in this chapter cause a variety of infections, each ranging in severity from subclinical to progressive, debilitating disease. Some of these species are dimorphic, growing in the infectious mold form in the environment but switching to a round, yeast-like form in infected tissues. They differ from the opportunistic fungi in their ability to cause disease in previously healthy persons. However, the most serious infections still occur in patients with compromised immune systems. With the exception of Cryptococcus neoformans, each of these fungi is restricted to geographic niches corresponding to the environmental habitats of the mold form of the species. None of these infections is transmitted from human to human. The major features of the systemic pathogens are summarized in Table 47–1.