How do deadly fungi spread between animals and humans?

Deadly fungi can move from one living thing to another by hiding in tiny spots and traveling through ways we use every day.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite toy, and it gets covered in dirt. If you put that toy in your mouth or touch your face after playing, the dirt, which might have tiny fungi, can get inside you too.

• From animal to human: A dog might step on a patch of fungi growing in the park. Then it licks its paw, and the fungi go into its mouth. If that dog later gives you a hug or sneezes near you, those tiny fungi can jump from the dog to you.

• From human to human: When someone coughs or sneezes, they send little bits of mucus into the air. These bits might have fungi hiding inside them. If another person breathes in that air, those fungi can travel into their lungs.

It's like sharing a cookie, except instead of sugar and chocolate, you're sharing tiny living things that might make you sneeze or feel sick!