About 200 species of fungi are toxic to humans. Ingestion or exposure can have mild effects, like rashes or nausea; or more extreme complications, causing organ failure and even death.
Animals are also susceptible to fungal infections. Species of candida were found in cows suffering from mastitis; pythium insidiosum causes skin lesions in both horses and dogs.
Fungal infestations also lead to billions of dollars in damage to plants and food crops every year.
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Fungi have important roles in the food industry:
Fungi are also used in the development of pharmaceuticals such as cephalosporins (antimicrobials) and statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs).
Related reading:
*= in LHL print collection