Think Fungus: Fungal Disease Awareness Week

Fungal Disease Awareness Week is September 23–27, 2019. CDC and partners have organized this week to highlight the importance of recognizing serious fungal diseases early enough in the course of a patient’s illness to provide life-saving treatment. Some fungal diseases go undiagnosed and cause serious infections in people in the United States and around the world, leading to illness and death. Increased awareness about fungal diseases is one of the most important ways we can improve early recognition and reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment. A key clue to when a sick person may have a fungal infection is that he or she is being treated with medications for other types of infection but does not get better.

This year, CDC is focusing is on three fungal diseases that can feel like the flu or pneumonia: Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis), histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis. These diseases are widely under-recognized and misdiagnosed and can cause devastating illness, even in previously healthy people. People who know about these diseases typically receive earlier diagnosis and proper treatment.

We encourage healthcare providers and their patients to “Think Fungus” when symptoms of infection do not get better with treatment.

Join us in sharing information to increase awareness in your community about fungal diseases. The quicker doctors can diagnose the right illness, the quicker a patient can be treated the right way.