A plant mycologist based in Kolkata has become the first person known to have contracted an infection caused by a plant fungus.
The unnamed 61-year-old man, who had no history of chronic illness or immunosuppressive medication use, had been working with decaying material, mushrooms, and various plant fungi for an extended period as part of his research activities, according to a report published in the journal Medical Mycology Case Reports.
When he sought medical attention, the patient complained of hoarseness of voice, cough, recurrent pharyngitis, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, and anorexia for three months. His chest X-ray was normal, but a CT scan of his neck revealed the presence of a right paratracheal abscess. Doctors drained the pus and sent a sample for further tests, which identified the fungus as Chondrostereum purpureum, a plant fungus causing silver leaf disease of plants, particularly of the rose family.
Fungal infections typically affect people with compromised immunity, but in this case, the man was healthy. The doctors who documented the case said that the finding raised serious questions regarding the propensity of such infection to occur in healthy individuals.
Symptoms of fungal disease on lilac leaves | Shutterstock
Killer plant fungus
Chondrostereum purpureum is a plant fungus that causes silver leaf disease in plants, particularly those in the rose family. The disease is named so because of the progressive silvering of leaves on affected branches.
The fungus is a common plant pathogen that is known to cause serious damage to fruit trees, such as apples, cherries, and plums. It is typically spread through the spores produced by infected plants and can survive in soil for several years. In humans, it is an extremely rare cause of infection. This is the first instance of a plant fungus causing disease in a human.
The report highlights the potential of environmental plant fungi to cause disease in humans and stresses the importance of molecular techniques to identify the causative fungal species. In this case, only through sequencing could the identity of this unusual pathogen be revealed.
The case also demonstrates the crossover of plant pathogens into humans when working in close contact with plant fungi. While silver leaf disease is progressive and often fatal in plants, the patient responded well to treatment and showed no signs of recurrence after two years of follow-up.
According to the doctors who treated the patient, “Recurrent exposure to the decaying material may be the cause of this rare infection.” While fungal infections in humans are typically rare, this case highlights the importance of taking necessary precautions when working with plant fungi to avoid cross-contamination and potential infections.
