Last April, the New York Times warned of the spread of a mysterious microscopic fungus, called Candida auris. A worrying expansion, since it is responsible for stubborn and fatal infections in people with weakened immune systems. First identified in 2009, the germ then spread to hospitals in Asia, Africa and South America, without clear links having been established between patients.
“The biggest mystery is how appearing the same fungal species on three different continents at about the same time, although they are genetically different “, assures Dr Arturo Casadevall, Director of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (United States) questioned by the Time. In a study published in the journal mBio on July 23, the researcher provides the first answers.
Mushrooms that adapt to heat
Arturo Casadevall and his team looked at the mushrooms close to Candida auris. They noticed that the majority grew well in ambient air, but did not survive human body heat. So this suggests that the one responsible for these deadly fungal infections has adapted to the higher temperatures.
A finding that worries researchers. They believe that the rise in mercury caused by global warming will eventually cause new germs to enter the “thermal restriction zone,” an area so hot that it prevents most species from entering our bodies. Without effective defenses, the new resistant fungi can more easily infect humans.
Because another data makes Candida auris Particularly formidable: Most of the known strains were resistant to at least one of the three classes of drugs used to treat fungal infections, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than a third were resistant to two treatments, and some appeared to be resistant to all three.
Responsible for infections that are difficult to detect
So far, infections due to this superbug have been reported in over 30 countries. But they are difficult to detect, because they occur in individuals already treated for another contamination, and with the immune system thus already weakened. They manifest as fever and chills, and do not respond to usual antibiotic treatments. More than a third of patients who contract them die, according to the CDC.
For Arturo Casadevall, the results of this investigation are a sign that humanity is on the verge of facing new diseases, caused by fungi that have adapted to warmer climates. Further research will be needed to better understand Candida auris, and find a way to fight it.
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