Deadly Fungus Could Kill Millions In Asia, Europe And The Americas, Study Warns

A killer fungus could spread through parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas, causing serious lung problems for vulnerable people due to rising temperatures, a new study has warned. Aspergillus, a type of fungus that thrives in warm, damp climates, has the potential to infect millions if it makes its way into the aforementioned regions.

Norman van Rhijn, the study co-author, has warned that the world was approaching a "tipping point" where the spread of fungal pathogens could become the norm.

"We're talking about hundreds of thousands of lives, and continental shifts in species distributions. In 50 years, where things grow and what you get infected by is going to be completely different," Mr Van Rhijn told the Financial Times.

As per the study, the species can grow quickly in high temperatures in compost, which explains why it is able to thrive in the 37C internal temperature of the human body. Additionally, fungi's resilience means they can survive and thrive in places that other organisms can't, even inside Chernobyl's nuclear reactors.

While inhaling the fungus's spores does not make everyone ill, those with conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis or a weakened immune system remain at risk.

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Fungal infection

What makes the situation worrisome is the fact that the fungal kingdom is largely unexplored by scientists. Less than 10 per cent of an estimated 1.5 to 3.8 million fungi species have been described, and only a tiny fraction have had their genetic material (genome) sequenced.

"Its lifestyle in the natural environment may have provided Aspergillus fumigatus with the fitness advantage needed to colonise human lungs," said Professor Elaine Bignell, co-director at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at Exeter University.

The study highlighted that Aspergillus fumigatus could spread across an additional 77 per cent of territory by the year 2100 as a result of the world's heavy use of fossil fuels. As a result, potentially nine million people in Europe could be exposed to the infection.

While the danger is imminent, scientists say the development of antifungal medicines has been hobbled by the financial unattractiveness of investing in them, because of high costs and doubts over their profitability.