Endemic mycoses are the agents of travel-associated fungal infections. The majority of these mycoses are due to the dimorphic fungi which grow as a mould in nature and as a yeast in mammalian tissues. The most common dimorphic fungal diseases are caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Penicillium marneffei, Lacazia loboi and Cryptococcus neoformans var. gatti. The disease develops due to the exposure to these fungal agents in people traveling to endemic areas. Although travel-associated endemic mycoses are encountered worldwide, they are seen most frequently in North and Central America, and significantly in Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. There are also endemic areas in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. Pulmonary disease develops after exposure to and inhalation of the conidia in people traveling to these endemic areas. The most commonly reported cases are histoplasmosis and coccidiomycosis.

In this review, the characteristics of the of travel-associated fungal agents are discussed with a review of the literature.