A significant study published highlights the alarming potential spread of Aspergillus, a type of fungus that poses serious health risks, particularly as climate change accelerates. Researchers warn that rising temperatures could allow this pathogen to infect millions of additional people across Europe, Asia, and America, significantly increasing its geographical reach.
Norman van Rhijn, a research fellow at the Wellcome Trust affiliated with Manchester University and a co-author of the study, emphasised the approaching "tipping point" regarding fungal pathogens. He stated that fungi like Aspergillus thrive in various environments, including indoors, raising concerns about their impact on human health. "We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of lives, and continental shifts in species distributions," he remarked in an interview with the Financial Times. He further warned that within the next five decades, "where things grow and what you get infected by is going to be completely different."
Aspergillus is known for causing Aspergillosis, a lung disease that can spread to other organs and may lead to severe complications, especially in individuals with pre-existing health conditions such as asthma or a compromised immune system. Mr van Rhijn highlighted that fungal infections could contribute significantly to global mortality. The study underscores that the Aspergillus fumigatus species could expand its territory by an alarming 77% by the year 2100, mainly due to climate-related changes and human activities, exposing an estimated nine million additional people in Europe to potential infection.
Professor Elaine Bignell, co-director at the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at Exeter University, noted that Aspergillus might have developed traits that afford it advantages in colonising human lungs. The fungus is capable of rapid growth in warm environments, such as compost heaps, a characteristic that aligns well with the internal conditions of the human body—approximately 37°C.
Moreover, the research indicates that another species, Aspergillus flavus, which resides on crops, could extend its presence by 16% into regions such as northern China, Russia, Scandinavia, and Alaska by the end of the century. Changes in climate may render some areas in Africa and Brazil less hospitable to the species, potentially disrupting local ecosystems.
Darius Armstrong-James, a professor of infectious diseases and medical mycology at Imperial College London, outlined the grave implications of this research, stating, "There are serious threats from this organism both in terms of human health and food security."
As the global climate continues to shift, this study serves to highlight the complex interplay between environmental changes and the emergence of health threats previously confined to certain geographical areas. The findings stress that increasing global temperatures could catalyse significant changes in the distribution and impact of fungal pathogens, thereby challenging public health systems worldwide.
Source: Noah Wire Services