Man infected with killer fungus makes medical history - study

After two years of treatments, the first human to be infected with the deadly Chondrostereum purpureum plant fungus has made a full recovery. 

His case was detailed in a March 2023 study published in the peer-reviewed publication Medical Mycology Case Reports.

The 61-year-old man from Calcutta was initially taken to the hospital presenting with a hoarse voice, cough, recurrent pharyngitis (sore throat), fatigue, difficulty in swallowing and anorexia for the previous three months. Most often, those who contract rare fungal infections have existing conditions that lower their immune capabilities, like diabetes, HIV or any disease that requires immunosuppressant medication. 

However, this man was otherwise healthy. He acquired the infection in his work as a plant mycologist working with decaying organic material, mushrooms and various plant fungi, according to the study. 

Chondrostereum purpureum causes a fungal disease called Silver Leaf which most attacks species of the rose family, the report explains. It is progressive and usually fatal, silvering leaves and branches with its spores as it spreads. It is an airborne disease - spores are carried on the wind to freshly exposed sapwood. 

Dr. Shuchin Bajaj, Founder and Director of the Ujala Cygnus hospital network in India told The Indian Express that exposure to contaminated soil, wood or plant material can also increase the risk of infection for humans. “The fungus can enter the body through cuts, abrasions or inhalation of spores,” he said.

The study explained that, although millions of species of fungi exist in our surroundings, only a few hundred can infect humans and animals. 

"That animal and human diseases can be caused by plant pathogens is a new concept that raises serious questions regarding the propensity of such infection to occur in healthy as well as immunocompromised individuals," concluded researchers.

Fungal infection in US hospitals 

Cases of fungal infection appear to be on the rise in the United States as well. Potentially deadly fungal infections with Candida auris are spreading rapidly in US healthcare facilities, with cases nearly doubling between 2020 and 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The number of cases rose by 44% to 476 in 2019, up from 330 in 2018, and subsequently, 59% to 756 in 2020 and by an additional 95% to 1,471 in 2021, the agency's researchers reported on Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Also concerning was a tripling in 2021 of the number of cases that were resistant to echinocandins, the class of drugs most often recommended for the treatment of the disease.

A high fever with chills that does not get better after taking antibiotics may be a sign of Candida auris infection.

People who are very sick, have invasive medical devices such as mechanical ventilators, or have long or frequent hospital stays are at particular risk for the infections, the report said.

"The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control," study leader Dr. Meghan Lyman said in a statement.

Other countries have also reported increased spread of the fungus, the researchers said.

Reuters contributed to this report.