This is another consequence of global warming: the emergence of new diseases. And it is fungi that are worrying. Until now relatively harmless to humans, this could change. This is what a study published in the journal Nature. Fungal diseases could increase.
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Candidiasis, aspergilosis or even pneumocystosis: there are a few diseases caused by fungal infections. However, humanity and mammals in general are relatively spared: their warm blood protects them from fungi that prefer cooler conditions to develop.
But could global warming change that? That’s a concern because fungi can adapt quickly to a changing environment. Could they, or have they already, reached the point where human body temperature would no longer be a problem? The authors of this study published in the journal Nature wanted to check.
A resistant mushroom specimen
To do this, they examined fungal infections that occurred between 2009 and 2019 in around a hundred Chinese hospitals. Out of the thousands of cases listed, they found at least one specimen that managed to pass the barrier. The Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis had never thrived in humans before, yet it was found during this examination. Worse, it was resistant to the main antifungals used.
This discovery surprised the scientific community and also worries it because fungal infections have one thing in common: they are complicated to treat. Now with this risk: that more and more pathogens adapt as the world warms.
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