Fungi grow by shedding tiny spores (think of plant seeds) in the air. These spores can land on your skin or you can inhale them. There are higher concentrations of fungal spores in the air in certain locations that are moist, cool and dark, such as a construction or demolition sites, old barns, or dark caves. fungal infections can affect areas like nails, skin and hair, and might include athlete’s foot or vaginal yeast infections.

The routes of fungi infection are:

Direct contact. For example, the fungi that cause ringworm, placed into a group of fungi called dermatophytes, spread when people contact the skin of an infected/person, animal, object, or even soil.

Inhalation. As an example, blastomycosis is a disease caused by the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis, and is caused by the inhalation of the spores of this fungus from the environment. Inhalation of certain fungal spores can also lead to what is sometimes called a mold allergy.