Carbon Brief Issues a “The Last of Us” Climate Warning – Watts Up With That?

Essay by Eric Worrall

Fungal Fiction mimicking fiction?

Guest post: Fungal infections are adapting to climate change – and threatening public health

Fungi are learning to adapt to climate change, posing a major threat to human health.

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Fungi are known for their ability to adjust to – and thrive in – new and changing environments.

Now, they are learning to adapt to the rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather events that characterise a warming planet. 

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Historically, most fungi do not cause disease in humans, meaning they are not “pathogenic”.

This is because – unlike viruses and bacteria – most fungi cannot survive or spread in body temperatures of 37C. 

But, as global temperatures rise, some fungi are adapting to survive in hotter environments, including the human body. 

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Read more: https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-fungal-infections-are-adapting-to-climate-change-and-threatening-public-health/

The article goes on to give a new WHO monitoring programme a plug.

How can anyone take claims like this seriously? The Carbon brief article is straight out of the plot of “The Last of Us”, a hit series about fungus attacking humans and turning humans into hybrid zombies, all because of global warming.

While our body heat does provide a barrier against fungal infection, it is not much of a barrier. Immunocompromised people suffer horrible problems from fungus infections – their body heat does not protect them.

Fungal infections in immunocompromised critically ill patients

Author links open overlay panelJosé Garnacho-Montero

, Irene Barrero-García

José Garnacho-Montero, Irene Barrero-García, Cristina León-Moya

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jointm.2024.01.005Get rights and content

Abstract

Diverse pathogenic fungi can produce severe infections in immunocompromised patients, thereby justifying intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. In some cases, the infections can develop in immunocompromised patients who were previously admitted to the ICU. Aspergillus spp., Pneumocystis jirovecii, Candida spp., and Mucorales are the fungi that are most frequently involved in these infections. Diagnosis continues to be challenging because symptoms and signs are unspecific. Herein, we provide an in-depth review about the diagnosis, with emphasis on recent advances, and treatment of these invasive fungal infections in the ICU setting.

Read more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667100X2400015X

I enjoyed watching series one of “The Last of Us”, it was a great zombie story. I loved the apocalyptic final episode of series one – reminiscent of great Western movies like “Unforgiven”. But to watch such fiction in comfort you have to park your scientific skepticism with the opening credits.

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