Fungal Diseases I-3b. The agent is Cryptococcus neoformans that affect the lungs, brain, spinal cord and meninges. Organisms are found in soil with bird feces, as yeast and not mold. The yeast has a capsule that resist phagocytosis.
Organisms become airborne and infect the lungs.
Severity of infection is related to the cell wall and capsule antigens. Treatment - Amphotericin B plus flucytosine. Candidiasis Candida albicans produce filaments called pseudohyphae. They are commensals on the skin, mouth, vagina and intestinal tract, and cause infection when the body is compromised. Infection can be cutaneous, systemic or chronic mucocutaneous.