“Alert: The Emergence of Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis as a Newly Discovered Fungal Threat Resistant to Drugs”
Scientists in China have just made a discovery that has cast a new shadow over global public health amidst the ever-changing landscape of infectious diseases. In this case, it is a previously unknown fungal pathogen, Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis, which has just been detected in clinical samples from two unrelated hospital patients. It is a finding that has opened the doorway to a Pandora’s box of threats to health and, therefore, underlines with urgency the requirement for awareness and preparedness.
Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis is not just another fungal pathogen; the characteristics are alarmingly conspicuous. It has been shown that the yeast acquires resistance to a wide range of frontline antifungal drugs after exposure to higher temperatures simulating the condition of the human body. Of greater concern, though, is when under such conditions the pathogen undergoes evolution into hypervirulent mutants and increases the severity of infection in laboratory mice. Such findings, in light of global warming, which may further enhance the pace of evolution and increase the pathogen area of such pathogens, emerge as a loud warning.
David Denning, a Professor of Infectious Diseases from the University of Manchester, has voiced grave concern…
