Fungi in humans

Dematiaceous fungi are a diverse group of melanized fungi that cause infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals, ranging from superficial to life-threatening systemic infections, including phaeohyphomycosis, chromoblastomycosis, eumycetoma, and sometimes onychomycosis (Suman and Kumar, 2024). They are opportunistic pathogens capable of causing infections in humans independent of host immune status. They are a ubiquitous environmental heterogenous group of molds found in the soil and plant matter worldwide (Li and Yoon, 2025). More than 150 species belonging to different genera of dematiaceous fungi have been identified to cause infections in humans and animals, exhibiting different pathogenesis, disease manifestation and species predilection (Li and Yoon, 2025; Kundu et al., 2020). The exposure to these pathogens is common and related to socio-economic factors while the disease development is rare. However, the notable increase in disease distribution reports has been influenced by climate change, and current status of fungal disease recognition after COVID-19 pandemic (He et al., 2022). The introduction of the dematiaceous fungi into sterile body sites through trauma can lead to evasion of the innate immune system, and possible cerebral infection in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised humans with high mortality (He et al., 2022).