Fungal infections such as pneumocystosis, aspergillosis, and candidiasis pose significant health risks. Unlike cold-climate fungi, which thrive in cooler environments, humans and animals are generally protected due to their warm-blooded nature.
However, climate change may disrupt this balance. Fungi are adept at adapting to new environments, raising concerns that they may have already overcome barriers posed by the human body’s temperature. Researchers explored this possibility in a study published in the journal Nature.
The study looked at fungal infections that happened in around 100 Chinese hospitals between 2009 and 2019. One specimen in particular stood out among the hundreds of instances that were documented: Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis was found, a species that had never before lived in humans. Furthermore, this fungus resisted the majority of the antifungals that were tried.
The scientific world was taken aback and concerned by this revelation because fungal infections are known to be extremely challenging to cure. The threat that more and more fungal diseases may adapt to human body temperatures is growing due to climate change, making the battle against these illnesses even more difficult.
Source : RFI
