mycologist becomes first person in the world to contract a plant fungal disease
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a 61-year-old plant mycologist from india is the first person in the world to contract a plant fungal disease.
the man was diagnosed with chondrostereum purpureum, the fungus that causes silver leaf disease in plants, according to a study published in medical mycology case reports.
silver leaf disease mostly attacks species of the rose family and is often fatal. it is spread by airborne spores landing on freshly exposed sapwood.
the man suffered persistent symptoms, including a hoarse voice, cough and difficulties swallowing for three months before visiting a doctor. after conventional techniques, including microscopy, failed to identify the fungus, a ct scan revealed a paratracheal abscess in his neck and a sample tested positive for the fungal infection.
“this case highlights the potential of environmental plant fungi to cause disease in humans and stresses the importance of molecular techniques to identify the causative fungal species,” the study notes.
the man worked with decaying plant and fungi material as part of his research activities and has since recovered after receiving two antifungal medications for two months. the unnamed man is said to have no complications as a result of the disease.
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of the millions of fungi that exist, only a few hundred are capable of infecting humans. the fungal species that can grow at 35—37 °c can become a human pathogen or commensal flora, notes the report, adding that the pathogen enters the human body through damaged skin and the respiratory tract.
“that animal and human diseases can be caused by plant pathogens is a new concept that raises serious questions regarding the propensity of such infection to occur in healthy as well as immunocompromised individuals. if the fungi can escape the phagocytosis pathway and is able to evade the host immune system, then they can establish themselves as human pathogens.”
the report points to climate change as causing a rise in new pathogenic fungi, stating that “the worsening of global warming and other civilization activities opens pandora’s box for newer fungal diseases.”
some fungi that are sensitive to high temperatures and have the potential to cause illness can develop the ability to survive in the human body at elevated temperatures. this is a significant concern as certain fungi can utilize “a natural selection-adaptation strategy” and adjust to higher temperatures through thermal selection.
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