What does paracoccidioidomycosis mean?

What does paracoccidioidomycosis mean?

Paracoccidioidomycosis is an infection caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides. This fungus lives in parts of Central and South America. Anyone who lives in or visits areas where Paracoccidioides lives can get paracoccidioidomycosis, but it most often affects men who work outdoors in rural areas.

Are paracoccidioides dimorphic?

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a dimorphic fungus and one of the two species that cause paracoccidioidomycosis (the other being Paracoccidioides lutzii). The fungus has been affiliated with the family Ajellomycetaceae (division Ascomycota) although a sexual state or teleomorph has not yet been found.

In what part of the United States is blastomycosis endemic?

Blastomycosis. Blastomycosis is considered endemic to the south-central, southeastern, and midwestern US states, particularly those bordering the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and in parts of the United States and Canada surrounding the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River (2,5).

Is paracoccidioidomycosis the same as coccidioidomycosis?

Coccidioidomycosis refers to an infection caused by the dimorphic fungus Coccidioides spp, usually localized to the lungs. This disease is not to be confused with the similarly named paracoccidioidomycosis.

Is paracoccidioidomycosis a disease?

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a chronic infectious tropical disease caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The initial infection usually occurs in the lungs, but may also spread to the skin, mucous membranes, and other parts of the body.

What causes Zygomycosis?

Zygomycosis type infections are most often caused by common fungi found in soil and decaying vegetation. While most individuals are exposed to the fungi on a regular basis, those with immune disorders (immunocompromised) are more prone to fungal infection.

Can you get blastomycosis twice?

Relapse or recurrence of blastomycosis in patients is rare. Re-infection of a patient with blastomycosis has not been previously reported.

Where is paracoccidioides brasiliensis?

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a dimorphic fungus endemic to subtropical areas of Mexico and Central and South America. The lung is the primary location for initial infection; a few patients present with widely disseminated disease that can involve the CNS.