A man based in Kolkata became the first case of a potentially deadly fungal infection caused by plants; plant fungus called Chondrostereum purpureum. This demonstrates a crossover of plant pathogen into humans when working in close contact with plant fungi.

The fungus, Chondrostereum purpureum, is known to cause silver leaf disease in plants, especially in species of rose families. However, there were no reported instances of this fungus infecting human beings from any part of the world.

Of the hundreds of millions of fungal species, only a few cause infections in humans. This may be the start of a new phenomenon when plant fungus is adapting to invade human cells by evading the process of ‘phagocytosis’.

The process, which means ‘cell eating’, happens when a cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle, giving rise to an internal compartment called the ‘phagosome’. Organisms clean and defend themselves by this process.

Global warming can change the distribution of heat-tolerant and susceptible species by favouring those that are more thermotolerant, US researchers Monica A Garcia-Solache and Arturo Casadevall had said in their 2010 paper Global Warming Will Bring New Fungal Diseases for Mammals.

This will facilitate fungi to spread and enter into closer contact with human populations and a few of those having pathogenic potential can acquire the ability to survive at body temperatures.

This threat is magnified as some fungi can take the benefit of a natural selection-adaptation strategy, and therefore adapt to a higher temperature by thermal selection.

LEARNING FROM HOME/ WITHOUT CLASSES/ BASICS

Fungi: Group of living organisms that are not animals, plants, or bacteria. Some familiar fungi are mushrooms, molds, mildews, and yeasts. They absorb their food from dead or living organisms, and some of them can cause diseases to plant and animals.

There are millions of fungal species, but only a few hundred of them can make people sick. Molds, yeasts, and mushrooms are all types of fungi.

Fungi can cause many different types of illnesses, including:

Asthma or allergies. Learn more about mold and how it can affect your health.

Rashes or infections on the skin and nails

Lung infections (pneumonia), with symptoms similar to the flu or tuberculosis

Bloodstream infections

Meningitis