Fungal Culture Test
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| Fungal Culture Test : What is a fungal culture test? A fungal culture test helps diagnose fungal infections. Fungal infections may happen if you are exposed to fungi (more than one fungus). Fungi are plant-like life forms, such as yeasts and molds. Fungi live everywhere: - Outdoors in air, soil and on plants - Indoors on surfaces and in the air - On your skin and inside your body Usually, if you are healthy, fungi will not make you sick. But many types of fungi can cause infections ranging from mild to life-threatening. Fungal culture tests use different types of samples depending on the part of your body that's infected. Samples may include skin cells, blood, urine (pee), or other body fluid. Your sample is sent to a lab and put in a dish with a special substance that helps grow any fungi in the sample. When there is enough material, it's checked under a microscope to see if it contains any fungi. Other tests may also be done to learn more about fungi in the sample. Fungal infections may be grouped based on where they are in your body. In general, these groups include: Superficial fungal infections. These infections affect the surfaces of your body, including your skin, genital area, and nails. They are very common and tend to be mild. But they often cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as itchy, scaly rashes. Two common superficial fungal infections are: - Ringworm (tinea). It usually causes a ring-like rash on the skin. Ringworm on your feet is called athlete's foot, and on your groin, it's often called "jock itch." The fungus spreads from contact with infected people or animals. You can also get it from shared objects, such as towels, or surfaces, such as locker room floors. - Yeast (candida). Yeast normally lives in and on your body. Usually, your immune system and certain "good bacteria" in your body keep it in control. If yeast grows out of control it can cause vaginal yeast infections and thrush, which affects your mouth or throat. This may happen if you have a weakened immune system or take certain medicines. Deep and systemic fungal infections. These serious infections affect tissue deeper inside your body. The fungus may grow in your blood, lungs, and other organs, including your brain. If an infection affects many parts of your body at once, it's called a "systemic infection." Anyone can get a deep fungal infection, but they are less common in healthy people. Most serious deep fungal infections happen in people who have weakened immune systems or are very sick with other conditions. Examples include: - Aspergillosis. This infection is caused by breathing Aspergillus mold spores, which are commonly found in the air. It mostly affects your lungs but may also spread to other parts of your body. The spores usually don't cause illness in healthy people. - Histoplasmosis. This lung infection is caused by breathing Histoplasma spores found in soil, usually where there are bird and bat droppings (poop). The infection can spread to other parts of your body, including your brain. - Pneumocystis pneumonia. This lung infection spreads from person-to-person in the air. Healthy people may carry the fungus in their lungs without having symptoms. - Invasive yeast infection (invasive candidiasis). This infection mostly happens only when your immune system is too weak to control the growth of yeast that's normally found in your body. It can affect your blood and organs. - Sporotrichosis, or "rose gardener's disease." In the United States, this infection is caused by a fungus called Sporothrix schenckii. It lives in soil and on plants and gets into your skin through small cuts and scrapes. It usually causes infection under the skin, but it can also cause deep infections in your lungs and other organs. | |
| Review Date: 05/03/2025 | Updated By: |