Aspergillosis is the name given to a number of different diseases caused by the mould Aspergillus. It produces large numbers of spores and occurs world-wide.
In the UK, A. fumigatus is the most common species causing disease. The organism can infect the lungs, inner ear, sinuses and, rarely, the eye of previously healthy persons. In the immunosuppressed host, Aspergillus can disseminate throughout the body.
The cost attributable to invasive aspergillosis in the USA in 1996 exceeded $650 million, an 8-fold increase in 2 decades.