Quick Update: Fungal infections rise in Asia
Researchers warn of a “doomsday scenario” due to heat-related mutations
A June 2024 study published in the journal Nature Microbiology revealed that some common fungi that people have previously been able to defend against—because of strong immune systems and body temperatures too high for fungi to tolerate—are now mutating to survive in warmer climates and, therefore, in humans.
“Temperature-induced mutagenesis can also elicit the development of pan-resistance to three of the most commonly used first-line antifungals,” Jinging Huang and colleagues reported. “...We provide evidence that temperature-dependent mutagenesis can enable the development of pan-drug resistance and hypervirulence in fungi, and support the idea that global warming can promote the evolution of new fungal pathogens.” (1)
In the Hindustan Times, Deutsche Welle reported about this study that “Researchers suggested fungi were adapting to human body temperature and becoming drug resistant,” and then added, “But the idea it's due to climate change is contested.” (2)
Welle points out that, while there are millions of species of fungi on earth that we inhale every day, only about 20 species actually cause illness in people. However, the authors of the Nature Microbiology paper stated that, "The danger and importance of new fungal pathogens is believed to be seriously underestimated."
Although the theory that a warming climate may allow fungi to mutate so they can tolerate the heat; this type of mutation can also allow them to become treatment resistant, as asserted above. While there’s no direct evidence for this heat-related mutagenesis, the Nature Microbiology paper’s authors pointed out that they found “found two patients who had been infected with a group of fungi that had never caused disease in humans before.” (2)
Author’s note: This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Jingjing Huang, Pengjie Hu, Leixin Ye, et al. “Pan-drug resistance and hypervirulence in a human fungal pathogen are enabled by mutagenesis induced by mammalian body temperature”; Nature Microbiology (June 2024).
2. Deutsche Welle. “Fungi are adapting to body heat and becoming drug resistant; a 'doomsday scenario' ”; Hindustan Times, July 6, 2024.