Free Republic

A rapid rise in reports from around the world of a deadly fungal infection is sounding alarm bells about the dangers of drug resistant diseases. First discovered in Japan in 2009, Candida auris is a type of yeast that can cause severe illness and spreads easily in healthcare facilities. Cases proliferated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Widespread infections in the United States led the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to label it an “urgent threat”. More recently, scientists in China called for closer monitoring of the potentially fatal fungus after a study found that almost all of the cases...

An IDF fighter who was seriously injured two weeks ago died on Tuesday after being infected by a dangerous fungus found in the soil of the Gaza Strip, Reshet Bet Radio reported. The fungus has infected ten other fighters. The deceased fighter arrived with serious injuries to his limbs at Asuta Hospital in Ashdod, where they identified that he had been infected with treatment-resistant fungi. The doctors tried every possible treatment, including experimental treatments from abroad, and brought in every specialist they could, but in the end, the fungus invaded vital organs in the soldier’s body and he died. Professor...

Morel mushrooms Public health officials have signed off on an outbreak investigation in Montana saying that morel mushrooms were most likely what made dozens of people sick and killed two. In addition to the two deaths, the outbreak traced to Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman, MT, sickened more than 50 people and sent three to hospitals. People became ill between March 28 and April 17 this year, according to the Gallatin City-County Health Department. The local department worked with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as the U.S. Centers...

Cases of Candida auris doubled in 2021, according to a new CDC report. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed the fungus Candida auris is spreading rapidly through U.S. health care facilities. Also known as C. auris, reports of cases linked to the drug-resistant fungus have doubled in 2021. In addition, the fungus is behind an outbreak in Mississippi that began in November, infecting at least 12 people and potentially responsible for about four deaths, according to figures provided by the state Department of Health to ABC News. Although C. auris does not present a...

Doctors have reported the first U.S. cases of ringworm caused by an emerging and highly drug-resistant fungus. Super-ringworm is on the loose in New York City. In a report this week, doctors and health officials have detailed the first known U.S. cases of the itchy infection caused by a contagious and emerging fungal germ—one highly resistant to many existing drugs. The fungus was first identified in South Asia, but it’s possible that it’s now circulating locally in the area.… … while ringworm can be very contagious through direct contact, it’s usually mild and treatable with over-the-counter antifungals. But a newly...

The smash television zombie show The Last of Us was too close for comfort for food scientist Sarah Gurr. While the apocalyptic HBO drama focussed on fungal infections turning mankind into crazed zombies, the more pressing threat is how they ravage what we eat, she says. The University of Exeter expert warns of a 'devastating' impact on wheat, rice, corn, soy beans, potatoes and other crops that keep the planet's 8 billion people alive. Dangerous fungi are spreading north as the planet heats up, and the fungicides farmers use against them are getting less effective as they adapt to resist...

(Last Updated On: May 1, 2023) NATIONAL TRUFFLE DAY National Truffle Day on May 2 serves up a deliciously sweet treat and places the chocolate truffle in the spotlight. #NATIONALTRUFFLEDAY N. Petruccelli of Chambery, France is believed to be the inventor of the chocolate truffle in December 1895. Truffles became much more prevalent in 1902 after the Prestat Chocolate Shop opened in London. In fact, Prestat still sells “Napoleon III” truffles made to the original recipe. Traditionally, chocolatiers make this sweet confection with a chocolate ganache center coated in chocolate, icing, cocoa powder, chopped nuts, or coconut. Oftentimes, they may...

The doomsday emo-dolts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hit the pause button on their Joy Division cassette tape long enough to warn us of a mysterious new fungus that can be deadly to people who contract it. It’s called Candida auris, aka C. auris.Fast Fungus FactsThe fungal disease is quite rare.It’s easily spread by person-to-person contact and can also be picked up from contaminated surfaces.In rare cases, the fungus can spread to an infected person’s brain, heart, blood, eyes, and bones, and kill them.Got that? The rare fungus can, in rare cases, kill people.Related: Big Brother...

An influential US medical panel is warning about the dangers of a rapidly spreading deadly fungus — just a week after the hit zombie show The Last of Us wrapped up. The American College of Physicians (ACAP) said the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant cases of Candida auris, also known as C auris, is 'particularly concerning'. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already described the fungus, which kills up to 60 percent of people it infects, as an 'urgent threat' in 2019. A person is infected after coming into direct contact with a contaminated object. It spreads from...

Theoretically yes, but it's unlikelyThe television series "The Last of Usopens in a new tab or window" describes a human pandemic with a mind controlling cordyceps fungus. When asked whether a COVID-19 pandemic with a pathogenic fungus is possible, my answer has generally been some variation of "yes, but it's unlikely." Cordyceps fungi turn ants into zombiesopens in a new tab or window, establishing the precedent that this group of organisms can be pathogenic to animals. However, ants and humans are very different animals. Ants are ectothermic or cold-blooded, while humans are endothermic or warm-blooded. This matters because temperature provides...

The sooty black mold smothers homes, porches, and cars, locals say. It obscures street signs, and coats the leaves and bark of trees. It cements itself to any stationary object, and it makes residents question the safety of the air they breathe. An out-of-control black "whiskey fungus," known as Baudoinia compniacensis, fueled by ethanol vapor from the Jack Daniel's facilities, has been a menace to locals in Lincoln County, Tennessee, ever since the famous liquor company started building six new barrel houses in 2018 and launched plans to build 14 more, locals say. Now, infuriated residents are demanding the company...

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded on a cruise ship floating off Australian coast after a fungus was found growing on its hull. The Viking Orion was reportedly denied permission to dock in Adelaide after authorities discovered a "marine growth" on the ship. Australia's fisheries department said the fungus - which it called biofoul - was "potentially harmful". Officials said the ship's hull must be cleared before entering the country. Biofoul is an accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animal and can allow the importation of invasive species into non-native habitats. The fisheries department said the management of fungus...

The presence of some fungal species in tumors predicts—and may even help drive—worse cancer outcomes. The study provides a scientific framework to develop tests to delineate in tumors specific fungal species that are relevant for prediction of cancer progression and therapy. The results also point to the possibility of using antifungal treatments to augment conventional cancer treatments. The idea that viruses and bacteria can trigger or accelerate cancer development is now well established. However, little is known about the cancer-related roles of fungi. The analysis revealed that the DNA of certain fungal species are relatively abundant in some tumor types....

Scientists have discovered the world's largest known bacteria, reaching up to one centimetre (0.4-inches) in length. The species, called Thiomargarita magnifica, was discovered on sunken leaves in the waters of a mangrove swamp in Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. It appears as thin white filaments like vermicelli pasta, and contains microscopic sulphur granules that scatter light, giving it a pearly gleam. The 'giant' organism is thousands of times larger than most bacteria and can therefore be seen by the naked eye. Thiomargarita magnifica 'challenges the prevailing view of bacterial cell size' and the assumption that microbes are only visible...

Mike Roberts claims it's a 'once-in-a-lifetime' find and he couldn't wait to show colleagues and familyA horrified chef was stunned to discover what he believed to be a withered 'zombie hand' stretching from its overgrown grave - only to discover it's a rare fungus called dead man's fingers. Mike Roberts stumbled across the 'horrifying' formation in Pwllycrochan Woods, Colwyn Bay, North Wales, while out walking on a work break. Images show five stems of xylaria polymorpha mushroom, known as dead man's fingers, poking through the greenery in the 'perfect' shape of a hand. Their white-coloured ends give the creepy impression...

An Oregon hospital is reporting an outbreak of a superbug fungus that has hospitalized three people in the state, health officials said. Oregon on Tuesday confirmed three cases of Candida auris at a hospital in Salem, the state capital. The first case was detected on Dec. 11, according to the Oregon Health Authority. The second case was confirmed on Dec. 23 and the third Dec. 27. Federal, state and local health officials are investigating the outbreak. C. auris is a type of yeast fungus that is difficult to detect and is heavily resistant to drugs, making treatment of infected patients...

Cladosporium sphaerospermum could form a living shield around astronauts in space. The fungus not only blocks radiation but actually uses it to grow, through a process call radiosynthesis: It pulls energy from radiation, just as most plants pull energy from sunlight via photosynthesis. These radiation-loving fungi survive on Earth in extreme places, like the site of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. In space, they do just as well. In 2019, researchers flew some of the fungi to the ISS, watching how it grew over a period of 30 days, and measuring the amount of radiation that passed through...

Huitlacoche is a fungus that consumes its host — corn — and transforms it into another food altogether. If you’ve never seen it before, it might be a startling sight. But look beyond the unfamiliar, and you’ll find a treat. In fact, for the past couple of weeks, a scrum of excited chefs has surrounded the McGrath Family Farms table at the Santa Monica farmers market due to the unexpected appearance of fresh huitlacoche (pronounced whee-tla-KOH-cheh), a fungus caused by ustilago maydis, which feeds on ears of corn. Called corn smut or Mexican truffle, the fungus is considered a delicacy...

Health officials possess evidence of an untreatable fungus spreading in several facilities. The "superbug" outbreaks have been reported at a nursing home in the nation's capital and in two Texas hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, according to the Associated Press.

Thousands of COVID-19 patients in India have been diagnosed with mucormycosis, or so-called “black fungus” that’s leaving some with vision loss. The rare but serious fungal infection is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes, which live throughout the environment and typically do not agitate otherwise healthy people, but can be problematic in those who have health issues or take medications that lower the body’s ability to fight off germs and sickness. In India, a health care system overwhelmed by recent coronavirus surges and short medical supplies may be contributing to the spread, as may attempts to treat COVID-19...