A deadly new fungus that can infect humans has been detected in China.
It does not appear to have originated in Wuhan, however.
Two men, in their 60s and 80s, have already died while infected with the pathogen, called R. fluvialis, though it’s unclear if the fungus contributed to their deaths.Researchers at Nanjing Medical Center who made the discovery fear others may also have contracted the disease, which is a type of yeast.In an experiment in mice, R. fluvialis was shown to mutate rapidly, suggesting the same could happen in humans if it becomes widespread.
The two men were not related and lived 500 miles apart. They both had weakened immune systems. What is most concerning in these cases, in addition to the lethality, is how swiftly the fungus mutated, as well as its resistance to anti-fungal medications.
[T]he cases have raised concerns, especially after lab tests showed the new fungus was resistant to three commonly used front-line anti-fungal treatments (fluconazole, caspofungin and amphotericin B).In a separate experiment in immunocompromised mice, R. fluvialis was shown to mutate rapidly to form ‘hypervirulent mutants’.And in a petri dish, it mutated 21 times faster at human body temperature than at ambient temperature — raising the risk of more dangerous strains emerging.At this stage, the scientists said it was unclear how the patients became infected and whether the fungus contributed to their deaths.
Of course, “experts” are rushing to tie this development to global warming.
The fungus, called Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis, was found in clinical samples from two unconnected hospital patients. In experiments, the researchers found that the yeast was resistant to several first-line antifungal drugs at higher temperatures — around that of the human body. This temperature also gave rise to “hypervirulent mutants” capable of causing more-severe disease in lab mice.The findings “support the idea that global warming can promote the evolution of new fungal pathogens,” the researchers behind the discovery wrote in a report published June 19 in the journal Nature Microbiology.
Of course, the “experts” are forgetting that the patients’ weakened immune system was likely a factor to succumbing to the illness…so even if the planet were warming (let’s say because we are exiting an ice age), it still would not a pose a threat to humanity.
It appears the race to identify the pandemic for the 2024 election season is still ongoing.
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