Dangerous fungus could spread to parts of US, researchers claim

Some researchers are sounding the alarm about a potentially deadly fungus that could spread throughout parts of the US, Europe and Asia.The study article, which was published in pre-print (not yet peer-reviewed) in Research Square, claims that “rising global temperatures” could lead to severe infections of Aspergillus, a fungal mold that thrives in warm, damp climates.The resulting infection — called Aspergillosis — can impact humans, livestock and plants, the researchers wrote.In the study, scientific models were used to predict where Aspergillus is expected to increase based on different climate scenarios.The researchers predict that the fungus’ prevalence could increase by 77% by the year 2100, potentially exposing millions of people in Europe to the infection.Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, was not involved in the research but reviewed the findings.“The study indicates that some global climate change scenarios will result in changes of habitat ranges for certain lung and systemic fungal infections,” he told Fox News Digital.Jatin M.Vyas, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine and infectious disease at Columbia University in New York, agreed that the study highlights concerns if Aspergillus becomes more prevalent in warmer climates.“We do know that there are increased cases in regions of the world that are more temperate,” Vyas, who was not part of the study, told Fox News Digital.Cornelius Clancy, MD, associate chief of the VA Pittsburgh Health System and opportunistic pathogens at the University of Pittsburgh, said he has seen an increase in fungal infections in humans, as well as fungal diseases in agriculture, horticulture and veterinary medicine. “Given that Aspergillus is prevalent in the environment and ongoing changes in climate favor growth of Aspergillus in the environment, it is likely that levels of human exposure will continue to increase, as will diseases of plants, crops and animals,” he...