Hi, need to submit a 1250 words paper on the topic The Kingdom Fungi. This therefore provides a continuous cycle of nutrients in the ecosystems hence there is interdependence. Fungi provide medicinal drugs that are used to cure numerous diseases, these include the antibiotics and some like ergot produces the lysergic acid that helps produce psychedelic drug (Carlile & Watkinson 2001).&nbsp. Other form of fungi such as mushrooms is used as food and bubbles are used in the fermentation during the formation of beer. However, there are some forms of fungi that cause diseases both to the plants and animals. These diseases include athlete’s feet, ringworms and tape worms and thrush. In plants fungi causes diseases such as canker, scabs and mildews. These lead to significant loss to the farmer as they reduce the productivity of crops (Pascoe & Kuhn 2003). &nbsp.

One type of fungi is Coccidioides immitis. The fungus is found in soil of the low rainfall regions such as in the southwestern U.S and Mexico. The fungus belongs to the family of Onygenaceae that is in the class of Euascomycetes. The fungus causes a disease known as Coccidioidomycosis, generally called valley fever (Alberts 2002). The most common symptoms of the valley fever are fatigue, night sweats, headache, severe fever, skin rashes, muscle ache and joint pains. These symptoms usually appear in a period of one to three weeks after getting contamination with the fungus which is mostly occurs through breathing of the fungal spores (Toone 2011). These symptoms can last for weeks, however in severe cases, they can develop long term effects on the patient causing breathing problems and central nervous system related problems. The fungal disease affects any age group, but mostly prevalent in adults of above sixty years. Those with very weak immune system for example those suffering from HIV/AIDS or someone who have had an organ transplant and pregnant women stand a high chance of contacting severe valley fever (Carlile & Watkinson 2001).

Coccidioidomycosis is believed to have originated from the Southwestern U.S according to the research and studies performed by the United States in the 1940s and early 1950s. This shows why there is high prevalence of the disease in the area than the other parts of the United States (Toone 2011). The modern civilization has greatly improved the diagnosis and treatment of Coccidioidomycosis and has help reduce the percentage of deaths caused by the fungus. Modern civilization has led to the invention of modern medical equipment that help in the identification of the host factors of the fungus that can predispose the severity of the disease (Olsen 2011).