An Indian mushroom hunter contracted a fungal disease that is killing plants for the first time in the world.
The 61-year-old sought help after experiencing flu-like symptoms and difficulty swallowing for three months.
Enigmatic doctors ran scans that showed he had an abscess in his windpipe.
Surgeons drained the pus and sent samples to a lab, which revealed he had caught Chondrostereum purpureum.
The fungus causes silver leaf disease in plants, which is spread by spores in the air and gives plant leaves their metallic color before slowly killing them.
Medical professionals used CT images as a guide to insert a needle and perform an aspiration—to remove the excess fluid from the abscess. After the pus was completely drained, collected in a petri dish (photo) and sent for testing, the man was given two antifungal drugs for two months.
Initial laboratory tests to check for bacteria showed no evidence of the disease. But another screening test revealed that a fungus (pictured) was present
He probably became infected during his research as a plant mycologist working directly with fungi, yeasts and fungi.
According to the doctors who treated him, the man, who has not been named, had been dealing with “rotting material, fungi and various plant fungi” for some time.
The case “raises serious questions” because it proves that the infection can affect “both healthy and immunocompromised individuals”, they warned.
In the journal Medical Mycology Case Reports, doctors at consultant Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals write that the patient came to the hospital complaining of a recurring cough, hoarseness and fatigue that he could not change for three months.
The man, who had no underlying medical conditions that put him at risk, also had trouble swallowing and a sore throat.
The date of the incident was not disclosed in the case report.
On examination, X-rays of the man’s chest showed “normal”.
However, CT results showed the man had a paratracheal abscess in his neck.
Such abscesses can be fatal if not detected and treated quickly, as they can block the airways and lead to life-threatening infections.
It is usually treated with antifungal medicine and surgery to drain it.
After the pus was completely drained and sent to the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center in Northern India for testing, the man received two treatments of antifungal drugs over a two-month period.
Researchers there identified the disease as chondrostereum purpureum.
So far, there has been no evidence that any particular type of fungus can infect humans, the researchers said.
The man was free of the disease two years later, doctors confirmed.
Of the millions of fungi found in the environment, only a few hundred fungi are currently capable of infecting humans and animals.
“Several new pathogenic fungi have emerged in recent decades,” say the scientists.
Worsening global warming will also “open a Pandora’s box for newer fungal diseases,” they added.
Rising temperatures accelerate the number of mutations that occur in fungi, which can increase drug resistance and make them more adaptable to survive in the human body.
It comes as US health officials last week issued a warning about the fungus Candida auris, citing that the disease, which can kill up to 60 percent of people, has tripled in number in recent years and has become multi-drug resistant.
Concerns about the mold threat were highlighted by the popular US television show The Last of US, which was watched by tens of millions of people worldwide.
People infected with a fugu called Cordyceps turn into zombies.
Currently, the fungus can only infect insects such as ants. But its effects have been described as zombie-like, with Cordyceps growing out of its host’s body and controlling its behavior.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
