Health
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 U.S., 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The study article, which was published in pre-print (not yet peer-reviewed) in Research Square, claims that “rising global temperatures” could lead to severe infections of Aspergillus, a fungal mold that thrives in warm, damp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.
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In the study, scientific models were used to predict where Aspergillus is expected to increase based on different climate scenarios.
Some researchers are sounding the alarm about a potentially deadly fungus that could spread throughout parts of the U.S., Europe and Asia. (iStock)
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.
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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.
“It is likely that levels of human exposure will continue to increase, as will diseases of plants, crops and animals.”
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 predicted to Fox News Digital.
Potential risks of infection
For most healthy people, Aspergillus spores won’t cause any adverse effects, the experts noted.
“Most people will typically inhale some spores every day,” Clancy said. “If your immune system is intact, then these spores are usually removed by immune system cells in the airways and lungs and disease does not occur.”
“Rising global temperatures” could lead to severe infections of Aspergillus, a fungal mold that thrives in warm, damp climates, researchers said. (iStock)
But for people whose immune systems respond excessively to proteins in the spores, infection can cause reactions ranging from allergy-like symptoms to invasive disease.
“In persons who are immunosuppressed, such as those receiving cancer chemotherapy, there is a risk of spores invading the lungs and causing Aspergillus pneumonia or other lung infections, which can then spread in the blood to other organs,” Clancy cautioned.
“These are potentially very serious infections in immunosuppressed hosts.”
Allergic reactions and asthma exacerbations can also occur in people who are not known to be immunosuppressed, but who are predisposed to allergies and asthma, he added.
People who are elderly or have asthma are also at a higher risk of severe infection. (iStock)
“In patients whose immune system may be compromised — most commonly as a result of medications for cancer or other conditions — these organisms can invade the lung to cause significant pneumonia, and may even travel throughout the body to cause systemic disease,” Vyas cautioned.
“These patients are typically quite sick and require hospitalization.”
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People who are elderly or have asthma are also at a higher risk, noted Glanville.
“Unfortunately, there is also a global trend toward increases in rates of asthma and general demographic shifts toward a more elderly population in many areas,” he added.
As Aspergillus is an environmental organism associated with soil, it is difficult to fully avoid, experts say. (iStock)
“As clinicians, we worry about this infection because it is both hard to diagnose and even harder to treat,” Vyas told Fox News Digital. “We don’t have great drugs to effect cures for invasive fungal infections, including Aspergillus infections.”
Another obstacle is that some fungi become resistant to drugs over time, the experts agreed.
Prevention and protection
As Aspergillus is an environmental organism associated with soil, it is difficult to fully avoid, according to Vyas.
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Those who are immunocompromised should avoid working with soil unless they have had a discussion with a doctor, he recommends.
“Research into how Aspergillus causes diseases, better ways to diagnose this disease and the development of better treatments is sorely needed,” Vyas added.
“These are potentially very serious infections in immunosuppressed hosts.”
Glanville reiterated that there are anti-fungal treatment options for Aspergillosis, although the infections are often missed during initial diagnosis.
“It would be a good idea to increase medical training to recognize these infections and to subsidize the development of new antifungals,” Glanville recommended.
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People who are known to be immunosuppressed or who are taking drugs that can cause immunosuppression should talk to their health providers about protective measures, Clancy advised.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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