Climate change drives spread of deadly Aspergillus fungus
A new study has found that Aspergillus, a potentially deadly fungus, could spread across new parts of Europe, Asia, and the Americas due to rising global temperatures, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
Aspergillus is a type of fungus that thrives in warm, damp environments. While it is used in food production, such as fermenting soy sauce and sake, certain species like Aspergillus fumigatus can cause severe lung infections, especially in people with asthma, cystic fibrosis, or weakened immune systems. The disease it causes, aspergillosis, can even spread to other organs.
The research suggests that by 2100, A. fumigatus could spread across 77% more territory, potentially putting nine million people in Europe at risk. Another species, A. flavus, which grows on crops, could expand its range by 16% into parts of China, Russia, Scandinavia, and Alaska.
Speaking to the FT, Van Rhijn, co-author of the study and a research fellow at Manchester University, said: “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.”
Fungal pathogens are becoming more dangerous globally, Van Rhijn warned, adding that “the world is nearing a tipping point” due to climate change and fossil fuel use.
Professor Elaine Bignell of Exeter University noted: “Its lifestyle in the natural environment may have provided Aspergillus fumigatus with the fitness advantage needed to colonise human lungs.”
As temperatures rise, researchers caution that fungal infections like aspergillosis may become a growing global health threat.
Earlier, it was reported that a Chinese research team discovered a new bat coronavirus capable of animal-to-human transmission, as it uses the same human receptor as the COVID-19 virus.
