Superficial infections may be removed by washing. Examples of cutaneous mycoses are ringworm, athletes foot, and toenail fungus. The dermatophytes grow into the dead, keratinized layers of skin or in hair shafts and nails. They often produce products that cause inflammation. Ringworm may be acquired from cats, dogs and humans.
Fungi growing in subcutaneous layers of skin cause subcutaneous infections.
This is often due to entry of fungi into a wound. For example, mine timbers in a S. African gold mine were heavily coated with the Sporothrix fungi, and this lead to infection of wounds and subcutaneous fungal disease. Evergreen trees, sphagnum moss, roses often carry Sporothrix. Sporothrix infection also occurs in timber workers in Oregon. They do not invade the bloodstream.