Fungal Community-Acquired Pneumonias

At a glance

Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever), histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis are three types of fungal community-acquired pneumonias (CAP). Each are caused by fungi that live in different parts of the United States, where they are considered endemic. Fungal CAP are often misdiagnosed, delaying treatment when needed. Healthcare providers can use CDC's algorithms to guide testing and treatment for coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis.

Woman breathing in spores.

Community-acquired pneumonias

man coughing with mountains, trees, and a river in the background
Blastomycosis
Blastomycosis is a lung infection caused by a fungus that lives in soil in parts of the U.S.
woman coughing outside
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasma, a fungus in soil, bird, and bat droppings in areas in the U.S., causes lung infections.
A woman checking her temperature while standing outdoors in a desert
Valley Fever
Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is a lung infection from a fungus in soil in parts of the U.S.
A doctor examining a patient. A close up shows a testing algorithm.
Testing Algorithms for Fungal Pneumonias
Three clinical algorithms to guide testing and treatment for endemic community-acquired pneumonias.
For Health Care Providers Testing Algorithms for Fungal Pneumonias
See Also Best Practices in Management of Fungal Pneumonias: Primary Care and Emergency Medicine Perspectives – an online training for primary and emergency medicine providers.
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Content Source
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
About This Page
Published: May 15, 2024
Updated: May 8, 2024

This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.

Reviewed: October 28, 2026

The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.