These fungi capable of causing an infection that can ‘eat you from the inside out’ could spread, experts warn

The natural world never fails to surprise, and fungi are certainly top of the list when it comes to mysteries. Whether it’s hatching from a gelatinous egg to being so terrifying it’s literally called ‘Dead Man’s Fingers’, fungi plays complex - and often misunderstood - roles in nature’s ecosystems.

A recent study from the University of Manchester, funded by the Wellcome Trust, has warned that climate change is accelerating the global spread of dangerous fungal pathogens, particularly Aspergillus species.

These fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus, are expanding into northern regions of Europe, Asia, and North America due to rising temperatures.

‘Fungal pathogens will impact most areas of the world’

Aspergillosis, a lung disease caused by inhalation of Aspergillus spores, kills hundreds of thousands annually; with a very high mortality rates at around 20% to 40%, many cases going undiagnosed due to unfamiliarity and symptom overlap with other conditions.

Norman van Rijn, one of the study’s authors and a climate change and infectious diseases researcher at the University of Manchester, said that “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."

If the body’s immune system fails to clear the spores, the fungus “starts to grow and basically kind of eat you from the inside out, saying it really bluntly,” van Rijn added. The study also points out that rising temperatures could be increasing fungi’s temperature tolerance, allowing them to better survive inside human bodies.

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It gets worse: not only can Aspergillus flavus trigger serious infections in humans, but it is also resistant to numerous anti-fungal drugs. It affects various food crops, and presents a significant risk to food security. Due to its impact on public health and resistance concerns, the World Health Organization classified it as a critical fungal pathogen in 2022.

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