Fungus Among Us? Global-first Case of a Man Infected by a Plant Fungus
Climec Labs
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Do you get deja vu? What if we tell you we can make you feel so; right here, right now?
For the first time,?a 61-year-old man in Kolkata has been infected by a plant fungus — Chondrostereum purpureum! Do you feel like you suddenly became the cast of 'The Last Of Us'?
Welcome to Simulation Class 101, where we — ( just kidding!) But?are we heading towards a zombie apocalypse?
So, what happened?
A fungus infected?a 61-year-old mycologist (a fungi scientist!) from Kolkata.?But the interesting part is that the fungus causes silver leaf disease, which was?thought only to affect plants,?especially the rose family. It is found to infect barks of trees in the?temperate regions of the northern and southern hemispheres.
However, the mycologist reported having never worked with this species. He went to the hospital complaining of constant cough, fatigue and anorexia for three months. A chest CT showed the presence of an abscess. While traditional tests gave no clues, DNA sequencing of the abscess pus revealed the shocking truth —infection due to a plant fungus!
This is startling because of 4 reasons:
But at the end of the day, it still did happen. So what's the science behind it?
How Did The Fungi Get Here?
The answer might lie in globalisation and climate change, but it will all point back to our dirty hands!
Globalisation makes a fair point here. But how is climate change responsible for this?
A warmer world may induce the geographic expansion of fungal groups and widen the landscape of infectious diseases!
Global warming alters fungal phenology and distribution, resulting in the disappearance of fungi in arid areas and the emergence of new species in warm and humid regions. India, a tropical country with no escape from humidity, is experiencing this phenomenon.
The Man Never Worked With It. So How —?
Fungi can grow faster in warmer temperatures in urban areas than in their cooler rural counterparts!
Anthropogenic global warming and increasing temperatures increase mushroom productivity and spread while showing a delay in the average fruiting period.
To understand this, let us understand the anatomy of a fungus. Most fungi have two parts: the mycelium (vegetative structure) and the fruiting body (the reproductive part).
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'Fruiting period' refers to the time taken by the fungi to develop its fruiting body. However, the mycelium under the substratum would have already been present.
Although the man claimed to have never worked with this species, he did acknowledge that he was working on other fungal species. Thus, the mycelium might have grown on the materials he was working with, but he never knew because they were hidden/just started fruiting and went unnoticed.
How Did The Fungi Resist The Human Immune System?
Plant and human immune systems have different defence mechanisms, but both use dermal cells as the first line of defence against pathogens. Fungi can grow through epidermal cells without damaging them, unlike in plants. But, the human immune system is much more efficient and 'smart' at disease control.
Research suggests that the scientist must have been immunocompromised for the fungi to have resisted the human immune system.
How Did The Fungus Tolerate The High Body Temperature?
Some fungi possess thermotolerance and can thrive in scorching temperatures. With global warming, these fungi are becoming more prevalent and are naturally selected for higher-temperature hosts, potentially including humans.
What Happened To The Mycologist?
The mycologist's abscess was drained and treated with oral antifungal pills, and after two years of supervision, there has been no recurrence, indicating a full recovery.
So, are we heading towards a zombie apocalypse? Although zombies don't exist scientifically, we might be marching towards an era of disease and destruction if sustainability doesn't become our everyday norm.
At Climec Labs, we are creating a sustainable tomorrow to avoid a future apocalypse! That's why we have built a portable and ergonomic air purifier that purifies 16 sq. feet of air along with adding as your non-judgemental desk buddy. Its AQI-based lighting keeps you in the know of your room's air quality while filtering out those vicious fungal spores with its HEPA and Activated Carbon filters!
To build a sustainable world,
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