The immune system is the body's way of protecting itself from bad germs. The immune system uses many different strategies to fight and kill troublesome invaders. If you become immunocompromised, meaning you have a weak immune system, you may not be able to protect yourself from bad microbes. Most fungi only infect people who are immunocompromised. Fungi also love growing on plastics and other materials! These surfaces allow the fungi to form very strong biofilms, which are communities of fungi living under a protective shield that blocks the immune system from attacking it and also prevents antifungals from killing the fungal cells living inside—think of the shield that protects Wakanda in the movies Black Panther and Infinity War. When fungi form these biofilms, the immune system and drugs cannot penetrate the shield! Fungi can also leave the biofilm and travel to other parts of the body to start a new infection. Imagine a fungus living in a biofilm that is growing inside the catheter (IV tube) in someone's vein. This catheter is connected to a highway in the body, the circulatory system.

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