Credit: Washington Post
As if we didn’t need another reason to be concerned about climate change, a recent study showed that climate change could raise the risk of deadly fungal infections in humans.
Between the years 2012 to 2015, pathogenic versions of the fungus Candida auris showed up in Africa, Asia, and South America. These fungi all came from the same species, but since they are genetically distinct, they couldn’t have spread across the continents via infected travelers. It is believed, instead, that the fungus became tolerant to the average resting body temperature of humans due to its adaptation to warming in the environment.
If this proves to be true, climate change could very well be responsible for a new fungal disease breakout. This fungus causes dangerous infections of the blood, brain, heart, and other parts of the body, and can be fatal 30 to 60 percent of the time.
In laboratory settings, fungi can be coaxed to grow in warmer temperatures. As a result, they have the capacity to breach our thermal defenses. Many animals and plants are feeling the devastation of fungal diseases. It appears to be just a matter of time before fungal diseases infect us at a higher rate than before.
Climate change is not only hurting the environment, but it could prove deadly to human beings, too. The amount of fungi out there yet to be discovered could ramp up with the warm temperatures that they thrive in. It is certainly something scientists need to keep a close eye on as the environment continues to change.
