Fungi are all around us. Their microscopic spores are on the ground and in the air. Most of these fungi are harmless. However, certain types can cause serious fungal infections in some people.
Fungal infections can occur anywhere in your body but most commonly, they begin on your skin. Most cause some discomfort, such as redness and itching. Usually over-the-counter or prescription medications take care of this. Sometimes these skin infections do not heal though and they worsen, possibly causing sepsis. When a fungus is inhaled and enters your body or is introduced into your body in another way, the risk of infection rises, especially if you have an impaired immune system. People with impaired immune systems are more likely to develop sepsis with fungal infections than people with normal immune systems.
Sepsis, which was often called blood poisoning, is the body’s life-threatening response to infection. Like strokes or heart attacks, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment.
Suggested Citation:
Sepsis Alliance. Sepsis and Fungal Infections. 2024 https://www.sepsis.org/sepsisand/fungal-infections/
Updated January 5, 2024.
More About Fungal Infections
Examples
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are millions of different species of fungi on Earth. About 300 are known to make people sick. Fungi live outdoors in soil and on plants and trees. They may also live on indoor surfaces and human skin. The most well-known types of fungal infections include:
- Athlete’s foot
- vagin*l yeast infection
- “Jock itch”
- Ringworm
The most common types of fungi that cause serious or life-threatening infections include:
- Aspergillus, which causes aspergillosis. It most often affects people with lung disease or a weakened immune system
- Candida, which causes candidiasis, also called thrush. If it enters the blood system, it is called invasive candidiasis.
- Histoplasma, which causes histoplasmosis when the spores enter the lungs. The majority of people who inhale the spores will not become ill, but it can cause serious illness, especially among people with a weakened immune system.
- Pneumocystis jirovecii, which causes pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). This fungus generally causes serious illness in people who have impaired immune systems, particularly immune system impairment caused by HIV/AIDS or corticosteroid use.
In 2012, there was an outbreak of fungal meningitis in some parts of the United States. This type of meningitis is not contagious. Contaminated steroid injections in the spine caused it.
Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is caused by a fungus found in the soil in the southwest U.S., particularly in California. There have been rising numbers of Valley fever in California, tripling over the past few years.
Symptoms
Fungal infection symptoms depend on where the infection is. For example:
- A vagin*l yeast infection usually causes itching and foul discharge from the vagin*.
- A fungal infection on the skin may cause redness, itching, flaking, and swelling.
- A fungal infection in the lungs may cause coughing, fever, chest pain, and muscle aches.
Risk Factors
There are some factors that can increase your risk of contracting a fungal infection. Those at higher risk include people who:
- Have a lowered immune system because of medications, such as steroids, or disease, such as HIV.
- Had an organ transplant.
- Work with the soil, or in areas where they are in contact with bird or bat excrement.
- Use communal showers or locker rooms.
- Are taking antibiotics.
- Travel in areas where fungi are more present, such as the Southwest and Pacific Northwest, where the fungus that causes Valley fever is found.
Prevention
Some precautions can prevent many fungal infections. For example, to reduce the risk of developing athlete’s foot, it’s important to keep your feet clean and dry. If walking in a locker room, pool, or a communal shower, wear flip flops or sandals to keep your skin from touching the floor. To reduce the risk of a vagin*l yeast infection, it’s important to wear “breathable” underwear, avoid using scented sprays or powders, and practice good hygiene.
To prevent inhaling spores which can cause a lung infection, wear a mask when working in an area where fungal spores may be stirred up and get into the air you are breathing, such as chicken coops or other areas where there may be bird or bat droppings, as well as decaying vegetation, which can happen when you’re working in the garden.
Treatment
Fungal infections are treated with anti-fungal medications specific to the particular fungus that caused the infection. These medications can be cream or ointment, suppository, or pill form. Fungal infections that cause sepsis are treated with intravenous anti-fungal drugs. Antibiotics are not used for fungal infections because they are not effective.
Some fungal infections are becoming harder to treat because the fungi are becoming resistant to the medications that used to kill them. This is called antimicrobial resistance, AMR. In October 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a first-ever list of 19 fungi that appear to be the biggest threat to public health. These particular fungi most often affect people who are already seriously ill, with impaired immune systems. These include people who have cancer or chronic respiratory diseases, among others, or have had an organ transplant. The WHO report is available here.
Related Resources
Fungal Infection
Information Guide
Linda Jones
I woke up with pain. Daughter took me to ER. I thought I was having a heart attack. Pain across shoulder blades and neck. ER doc misdiagnosed me and sent me home same day. He did only tests to rule our heart attack. No blood work done. He sent me home with diagnosis of muscle spasms and a prescription for valium. Sepsis was already in my body. A day or 2 later I fell in bathroom, hit my head. I came to and could not move. I was completely paralyzed. My organs were all shutting down. The only thing that ... Read Full Story
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Richie Cano
My son Richie was rushed to the ER on July 26th 2018. He had a 107 fever and wasn’t speaking correctly (mental decline), and could not breathe. He went into septic shock and DIC. He was sedated and intubated. He coded 3 times. They tried to save him but unfortunately, they couldn’t. He passed away on July 29th. The doctors said he had a fungal blood infection, which he was not aware of. (Sepsis and Fungal Infections) He was only 26 yrs old. This is devastating losing my son. I was not aware of sepsis until this happened to my ... Read Full Story
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