Thermally dimorphic fungus

Fungi can cause a number of infections in humans. Many of these are only superficial infections, such as tinea pedis or athlete’s foot. However, some particularly nasty fungal infections—ones that can spread throughout the whole body—tend to be caused by thermally dimorphic fungi. Thermally dimorphic fungi exist as a yeast form or a mold form, depending on the temperature at which they are growing. Examples associated with pathological infection are Histoplasma capsulatum and Coccidiodes immitis.