Climate Crisis Could Unleash New Fungal Pathogens From Marine Origin, Study Warns

Climate change is not only affecting the weather but also the health of humans and animals.

A recent study has revealed that a fungal hybrid, which originated from two different species in a marine environment, has the potential to cause serious infections in humans.

This finding suggested that the climate crisis could trigger the emergence and spread of new and lethal fungal pathogens.

Fungal hybrids: A shortcut to human infection

(Photo : DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)

Fungi are microorganisms that live in various habitats, such as soil, water, plants, and animals.

Some fungi are beneficial, such as those that decompose organic matter, produce antibiotics, or ferment foods. Others are harmful, such as those that cause diseases in plants, animals, and humans.

One of the most common fungal pathogens that infect humans is Candida, a yeast-like fungus that can cause infections, such as vaginal candidiasis or systemic candidiasis, which can be fatal for immunocompromised people.

Candida is normally present in the human body but can become opportunistic and cause disease when the immune system is weakened or disrupted.

However, not all Candida species are equally pathogenic. Some are more adapted to infect humans than others.

A team of researchers from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS), led by Dr. Toni Gabaldón, wanted to understand what makes some Candida species more virulent and capable of human infection than others.

They focused on Candida orthopsilosis, a species that was recently discovered to be a hybrid, meaning that it originated from the fusion of two different parental species.

The researchers found that Candida orthopsilosis is closely related to marine microorganisms, suggesting that it emerged in a marine environment.

They also found that Candida orthopsilosis has acquired certain properties, such as the ability to grow at higher temperatures, resist antifungal drugs, and adhere to human cells, that make it more likely to cause disease in humans.

The researchers concluded that hybridization, a process that has received little attention so far, allows the rapid acquisition of properties that enable human infection.

Therefore, in fungi, this process could be a shortcut to conquer a species like ours.

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Climate change and the risk of fungal pandemics

The discovery of Candida orthopsilosis as a potential pathogen raises the question of whether climate change could facilitate the emergence and spread of new fungal diseases.

Fungi are sensitive to environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and pH, and can adapt to changing conditions by evolving new traits or exchanging genetic material with other species.

Climate change, which is caused by human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere, can create environmental pressures that favor the evolution and hybridization of fungi.

For example, rising temperatures can expand the geographic range of fungi, allowing them to colonize new habitats and hosts.

Changes in ecosystem conditions, such as deforestation, land use, and pollution, can alter the interactions and diversity of fungi and other microorganisms.

Globalization and human action, such as the extensive use of fungicides and antibiotics in agriculture, can increase the exposure and resistance of fungi to these agents.

All these factors can increase the risk of a viral jump to humans, which is the transmission of a pathogen from an animal or environmental reservoir to a human host.

This can result in the emergence of new and potentially lethal fungal diseases, such as Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant fungus that can cause outbreaks in healthcare settings and has been declared a serious global health threat by the World Health Organization.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has shown the devastating consequences of a viral jump to humans.

It has also highlighted the importance of understanding the role of the environment in emerging and reemerging infectious diseases.

Fungi, which are often underestimated as pathogens, could be the next source of a pandemic unless preventive measures are taken to monitor and control them.

The authors of the study hoped that their findings will pave the way for identifying the adaptations that allow certain microorganisms to be more likely to colonize humans and cause disease.

They also called for more research and awareness on the impact of climate change on fungal pathogens and their potential to cause global health crises.