Tree fungus hits a human for the first time

When a plant is attacked by the tree fungus Chondrostereum purpureum, it often causes the so-called silver leaf disease: the branches discolor and die. In India, a case has now been reported in which this fungus has spread to a human being.

According to a report in the journal Medical Mycology Case Reports, the 61-year-old man had been suffering from hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, coughing, an inflamed throat, fatigue and loss of appetite for three months when he received his first medical exam.

During a CT scan, doctors found an abscess on the patient’s neck and initially suspected a bacterial infection. Only a lab analysis revealed that it was a fungal infestation.

The fungal species Chondrostereum purpureum could be identified through DNA sequencing. The abscess was removed and the man was successfully treated.

According to the report, the transfer was facilitated by the person’s job: in his work as a plant mycologist (scientifically concerned with various fungi in plants), he increasingly came into contact with fungi.

Pathogens can enter the human body through the respiratory tract or open wounds and cause infection. The risk is especially high in immunocompromised people.

Although only a few of the large number of naturally occurring fungi can infect humans and animals, the scientists express concern in their report. They suspect that cases like this could increase in the future.

Global Warming and Civilization Activities Open “Pandora’s Box for Newer Fungal Diseases”. In recent years, a large number of new pathogenic fungi have been observed that can survive at different temperatures due to their adaptability.

Pathogens are fungi that cause disease in humans or other organisms. The multi-resistant yeast fungus Candida auris is currently on the rise worldwide.

(t online)