It’s possible that this is the first incidence of a plant fungus infecting a human ever documented. The victim, a 61-year-old researcher from Kolkata who has spent years studying mushrooms and similar organisms, fell ill with the killer plant fungus.

The patient was seen at a city hospital, and they are now well again. Physicians identified him as a plant mycologist who conducted research and professional work with mushrooms, decaying objects, and numerous other plant fungi.

According to a medical team’s report on the case’s results at Apollo Multispecialty Hospital (AMH), Kolkata, “The recurrent exposure to decaying materials may have caused this rare infection. This case report demonstrates the crossover of plant pathogens into humans when working in close contact with plant fungi”.

The findings were recently published in the journal Medical Mycology Case Reports.

The fungus, chondrostereum purpureum, is known to cause ‘silver leaf disease’ in plants, according to the doctors involved. In this case, the fungus infects plants through wounds, causing the silvering of the leaves and, eventually, the death of the branch.

In their report doctor said, “The cross-kingdom pathogenicity demands much work be done in order to explore insights of the mechanisms involved, thus leading to possible recommendations to control and contain these infections”.

The researcher had complained of coughing, hoarseness in voice, recurring pharyngitis, weariness, anorexia, and difficulties swallowing when he arrived at Apollo’s OPD. He was not currently taking any immunosuppressive medications and had no history of diabetes, HIV, kidney, or any other chronic diseases.

The results of the investigation showed that there was a paratracheal abscess. Testing revealed a fungus infection, but traditional methods failed to pinpoint the fungus.

The patient was given oral antifungal therapy with frequent follow-ups along with surgical draining of the abscess by medical professionals.

The doctors claimed that numerous new harmful fungi have appeared over the years as a result of activities such as unplanned urbanization, environmental changes, global warming, and other factors, potentially unleashing a Pandora’s Box of new fungal illnesses.

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