Q. What are the major human diseases caused by fungi?

The main human diseases caused by fungi are paracoccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, or South American blastomycosis, sporotrichosis, aspergillosis and systemic candidiasis.

Fungi are also responsible for many dermatologic diseases (dermatomycosis) that affect the nails,the skin, the scalp, etc.

On the other hand, many fungi are capable to produce antibacterial substances that combat diseases. In the Second World War, in German jails, Russian prisoners that accepted to eat moldy bread had fewer skin infections than those that refused the food. In China, moldy soy sauce has millennial past use to fight infections. Penicillin, a potent antibiotic, was find out in 1928 by Alexander Fleming when he observed the antibacterial activity of fungi from the genus Penicillium.