A fungus with the potential to rot human tissue from within is spreading across the United States.
Known as Aspergillus fumigatus, the fungus can easily spread due to its tiny airborne spores that humans can inhale. Once inside the body, it results in a serious lung infection called aspergillosis. In severe cases, the infection can result in organ failure and even death.
Certain individuals, like those with weakened immune systems, are particularly vulnerable to aspergillosis.
The fungus has been identified in multiple states, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, California, and Louisiana. It thrives in hotter and humid environments and among farming activities.
Because infections, hospitalizations, and deaths from aspergillosis are not tracked in the United States, it is harder for experts to detect. As a protective measure, doctors recommend that people with weakened immune systems avoid soil, gardening, and moldy environments. They also suggest wearing masks in dusty areas and maintaining clean air indoors.
The proliferation of the fungus has prompted hospitals in the US to increase mold inspections and antifungal protocols. Between 2000 and 2013, hospitalizations for invasive aspergillosis in the United States grew by 3% annually. By 2014, the condition was responsible for almost 15,000 hospitalizations in the country, with an estimated cost of $1.2 billion.
Growing drug resistance and a high death rate have prompted the World Health Organization to rank Aspergillus fumigatus as a ‘critical priority’ fungal threat. Some experts say rising global temperatures could accelerate the spread of the fungus as environments become increasingly hospitable for it to thrive.
The overuse of azole drugs, both in treating fungal infections in humans and in their use in agriculture, may be responsible for driving the fungus’s drug resistance.
“This isn’t science fiction… These infections are real, and we’re not ready,” said Dr. Vyas, an infectious disease expert at Columbia University, per the Daily Mail.