Climate change fuelling spread of deadly fungal infections, study warns
Two major fungal pathogens – Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus – are set to spread faster across new parts of Europe and other regions as warming continues, researchers warn.
The findings raise fresh concerns about the growing health burden posed by fungal diseases, which remain understudied compared to other infectious threats.
Using climate modelling, researchers from the University of Manchester found that A fumigatus, which causes aspergillosis, a severe and often fatal lung infection, could expand its geographical range by 77 per cent by 2100 under high-emission scenarios. The shift would potentially expose an additional nine million people across Europe to the fungus.
Meanwhile, A flavus, which infects crops and produces carcinogenic aflatoxins, is projected to spread over 16 per cent more land globally. Its spread threatens both human health and food security, particularly in regions already vulnerable to climate stress.
'Changes in environmental factors, such as humidity and extreme weather events, will change habitats and drive fungal adaptation and spread,' Dr Norman van Rhijn, one of the authors of the study, said.
The findings come amid growing concern that fungal infections – long neglected by global health policy – could spark a major public health crisis in coming decades.
Unlike bacterial infections, fungi are harder to treat and resistant to many existing drugs. Despite the threat, less than 10 per cent of the world's estimated fungal species have been described.
In 2022, the World Health Organisation listed fungal pathogens among its top priority threats for the first time. Despite this, fungal research remains underfunded. In response to the growing risks, the Wellcome Trust has announced over £50 million in funding for fungal disease research over the next year.
'We have already seen the emergence of the fungus Candida auris due to rising temperatures, but, until now, we had little information of how other fungi might respond to this change in the environment,' said Dr van Rhijn. 'Fungi are relatively under researched compared to viruses and parasites, but these maps show that fungal pathogens will likely impact most areas of the world in the future. Raising awareness and developing effective interventions for fungal pathogens will be essential to mitigate the consequences of this.'
Experts warn that the spread of fungal infections may also be accelerated by extreme weather events such as storms, droughts and wildfires, all of which can disturb spores and create ideal conditions for fungal proliferation.
While the study found that warmer climates could drive fungal spread across new parts of Europe, some parts of Africa may become too hot for certain fungi to survive.
However, researchers warned that fungi's resilience, large genomes, and rapid adaptability make them capable of evolving in response to new conditions.
Antifungal resistance is also increasing, driven in part by the widespread use of fungicides in agriculture. Many infections have high mortality rates, and existing antifungal treatments are limited due to toxicity and the biological similarity between fungi and humans.
'Fungal pathogens pose a serious threat to human health by causing infections and disrupting food systems. Climate change will make these risks worse,' Viv Goosens, research manager at Wellcome, said.
'To address these challenges, we must fill important research gaps. By using models and maps to track the spread of fungi, we can better direct resources and prepare for the future.'
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Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Seven rules for a healthy and happy retirement from the professors who study it
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
One of Italy's largest glaciers now too unstable for scientists to visit
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Now THAT'S what you call breath-taking! Diver holds his breath underwater for over 29 MINUTES to set new world record
A diver has set a truly breathtaking world record for the longest time spent holding his breath underwater. Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić spent 29 minutes and three seconds submerged in water on a single breath. That set the Guinness World Record for the 'longest time breath held voluntarily underwater', smashing the previous record by almost five minutes. During his half-hour feat, Mr Maričić held his breath for twice the length of a bottlenose dolphin's longest recorded dive. In fact, that incredible achievement puts Mr Maričić on par with a harbour seal. Harbour seals can exchange 90 per cent of the air in their lungs with one breath, compared to only 20 per cent in humans. So, to compete with nature's freedivers, Mr Maričić used pure oxygen to purge his blood of excess nitrogen. He breathed pure oxygen for 10 minutes before holding his breath, bringing his blood oxygen levels to five times the normal limit. Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić broke the world record for the longest time spent underwater on a single breath, smashing the previous record by more than four minutes On June 14, Mr Maričić lay down in a three-metre pool inside the Bristol Hotel in Opatija, Croatia, in front of five official judges and some 100 spectators. Before trying to hold his breath, he used a tank of pure oxygen to undergo a process called denitrogenation. Typically, the lungs of a healthy adult hold about 450ml of usable oxygen because oxygen only makes up about 21 per cent of the air we breathe. Breathing pure oxygen means that the lungs can take in around three litres of oxygen with every breath, washing nitrogen out of the blood and supercharging it with oxygen. That not only filled his red blood cells with as much oxygen as possible, but also dissolved oxygen into his blood plasma - something that cannot happen under normal circumstances. In a medical setting, doctors might use this technique to expand an unconscious patient's 'safe apnea time' - the amount of time someone can safely go without breathing. Here, Mr Maričić used the same principle to massively enhance his ability to hold his breath. However, even with the assistance of pure oxygen, holding your breath for half an hour is still a superhuman achievement. In most people, the safe apnea time with pure oxygen is still only eight minutes - less than a third of the time Mr Maričić went without a breath. The previous record for an oxygen-assisted breath hold was set by fellow-Croatian Budimir Šobat, who held his breath for 24 minutes and 37 seconds. Before that, the record had been set by the magician David Blaine, who held his breath for 17 minutes and four seconds during a live broadcast on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Going further requires intense levels of mental control and the use of techniques that slow down the body's oxygen consumption. Harbour seals, for example, are able to slow their heartbeats from 100 beats per minute to just 10 while underwater. In a post on Instagram, Mr Maričić says: 'It's not about how much you inhale, it's about how little you need. No panic, no thoughts, just silence. That's how you make it to 29.' Mr Maričić also warns that this record is not something most people should attempt to repeat. 'This is a very advanced stunt done after years of professional training and should not be attempted without proper guidance and safety. O2 and CO2 toxicity can be lethal,' he wrote on Instagram. The first record for an oxygen-assisted breath hold was set by the magician David Blaine, who held his breath for 17 minutes during a live recording of The Oprah Winfrey Show Breathing pure oxygen can lead to a condition called oxygen toxicity, which can lead to dizziness, confusion, and convulsions. Taking supplemental oxygen before diving also increases the risk of blacking out while underwater, since it allows more time for CO2 to build up in the bloodstream. This can lead to carbon dioxide toxicity, which causes difficulty breathing, vomiting, and blackouts. Mr Maričić said: 'Do have in mind, diving with pure O2 can be dangerous and even fatal.' South Korea's real-life mermaids: The female divers swimming to 65ft until they are 90 Known as Haenyeo, or 'women of the sea', are a group of female freedivers from the island of Jeju, South Korea. This talented group of women have been in charge of providing for their families since the 17th century when many of the men were either conscripted to the army or had lost their lives at sea. Despite their age, these women spent more than half of their time underwater across the two to 10 hours of diving per day – the greatest proportion of any humans previously studied. According to a recent study, the women spend more of their time out at sea than polar bears. They use short, quick dives to gather seafood from the ocean floor, including conches, abalone and various other sea creatures. They are able to reach depths of 65 ft using no equipment other than their wetsuits, flippers, and goggles. Following a dive they would 'recover' for an average of just nine seconds above water before plunging down again. That allowed them to spend more time underwater than marine mammals like beevers, spending an astonishing 56 per cent of their time submerged. Surprisingly, the women did not display the classic mammalian 'dive response' – a slowing of the heart and reduced blood flow to muscles during dives. Instead, they showed increased heart rates and only mild oxygen reductions in the brain and muscles.
