Fungus disease in Northern California.

A systematic search for disease caused by fungi was made in a group of patients from northern California. Superficial mycotic infection was diagnosed frequently. Systemic fungus infection was found in approximately 0.6 per cent of an unselected group observed at Stanford University clinics-coccidioidomycosis or actinomycosis in almost all cases.Clinically unsuspected fungus infection was rare. Various species of Candida were frequently recovered, particularly from debilitated patients who had received antimicrobial therapy. Only rarely could these organisms be conclusively demonstrated to have caused serious disease.