This book is a comprehensive overview of the fungi that are clinically relevant for animals and humans. It is divided in three major parts: the first part comprises the history of veterinary and medical mycology, general aspects of morphology, growth, nutrition, reproduction and classification of fungi. In the second part, the etiologic agents of cutaneous, subcutaneous and systemic mycoses are described in detail with special emphasis on emerging and uncommon pathogenic fungi. Each chapter consists of a brief history and the morphology, classification, reproduction, susceptibility to disinfectants, natural habitat, distribution, genome, isolation, growth and colony characteristics, antigenic characteristics, virulence factors. The major diseases and their routes of transmission, pathogenesis, immunity, diagnosis and treatment are also covered. The third part focuses on laboratory diagnosis including clinical sample collection, their processing for fungal isolation, special stains for microscopic visualization, culture media composition and a relevant glossary. Each chapter includes color photographs, schematic diagrams and tables for better understanding.

This book is the first to give a well-documented, illustrated survey of the historical background to disease caused by fungi in man and domesticated animals. Medical and veterinary mycology includes the study of infectious diseases caused by actinomycetes and allergic conditions induced by both fungi and actinomycetes, and their history is also described here. The foundations of medical mycology have been laid over the past centuries but have only been completed during recent decades. This is therefore an appropriate moment to write the history of this specialty, which involves the collaboration of medically qualified and non-medically trained workers. Dr Ainsworth's long and varied career in mycology fits him ideally to the task he has undertaken and he has drawn on his experience to provide an invaluable scholarly perspective on the area.