Like a nightmarish, post-apocalyptic plot, rising temperatures are causing fungi to mutate in ways that not only make them hyper-infectious but drug-resistant, too.
This is deeply concerning as our world warms, Nanjing Medical University researcher Jingjing Huang and colleagues warn.
“The danger and importance of new fungal pathogens is believed to be seriously underestimated,” they write in their new paper.
“Temperature-dependent mutagenesis can enable the development of pan-drug resistance and hypervirulence in fungi, and support the idea that global warming can promote the evolution of new fungal pathogens.”
Wow! There’s useful to know. I don’t think I’ll risk using one in general because a simple dehumidifier is enough to keep the mold away in my place. But I’ll look into it further if I have to live somewhere that’s riddled with the stuff.