A newly described fungus has been isolated from the lungs of several patients experiencing symptoms of pneumonia.All of these patients have a preexisting immunocompromising condition,including four patients with AIDS and two who have been recipients of organ transplants.The natural habitat of this fungal species is the soil.This fungal disease would most likely be classified as a (an)________________ mycosis.

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This fungal disease is most likely an opportunistic mycosis because it is caused by a fungus that is not typically pathogenic to humans, but can cause infection in individuals with weakened immune systems. The fact that the patients have preexisting immunocompromising conditions supports this classification. The location of the infection (lungs) and the natural habitat of the fungus (soil) also suggest that this is not a superficial, cutaneous, or subcutaneous mycosis, but rather a systemic mycosis that has spread beyond the initial site of infection.

A Newly Described Fungus Has Been Isolated from the Lungs