Climate change is driving the spread of a killer fungus that infects millions of people a year as temperatures continue to rise, experts have warned.
Aspergillus, a type of mould, is all around us—in the air, soil, food and in decaying organic matter.
But if spores enter the lungs, the fungi can grow into a lumps the size of tennis balls, causing severe breathing issues—a condition called aspergillosis.
The infection can then spread to the skin, brain, heart or kidneys, and kill.
Researchers say a rise in global temperatures is fueling the growth and spread of aspergillus across Europe, increasing the risk of the deadly illness.
Invasive fungal infections such as aspergillosis are already estimated to cause at least 2.5 million deaths globally each year.
University of Manchester experts Professor Norman Van Rhijn, co-author of the study, told the Financial Times that the world is nearing a ‘tipping point’ in the spread of fungal pathogens.
He added: ‘We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of lives, and continental shifts in species distributions.
Climate change is driving the spread of a killer fungus that infects millions of people a year as temperatures continue to rise, experts have warned
‘In 50 years, the things that grow—and the things that infect us—will be completely different.’
While most people don’t get sick from inhaling aspergillus spores, infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat once they take hold.
People with weakened immune systems—due to conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis or diabetes, or as a result of treatments like chemotherapy—are at significantly higher risk.
New research suggests that Aspergillus fumigatus, already present in the UK, could spread across large parts of northern Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Within the next 75 years, it could even reach as far as the North Pole, potentially exposing an additional nine million people to infection.
This species thrives in warm compost—an environment that may have helped it adapt to the human body’s internal temperature of around 37°C.
Another species featured in the study, Aspergillus flavus, is also cause for concern.
Also linked to rising global temperatures, it produces aflatoxins—chemicals associated with cancer and severe liver damage.
Matthew Langsworth, 32, developed a life-threatening blood infection caused by invasive aspergillosis after inhaling fungal spores that were living in his home
The fungus can grow quickly in warm, damp environments, as well as in the body. Mr Langsworth claimed that the extensive mould in his property was painted over, rather than treated properly
Scientists believe higher temperatures and CO₂ levels are accelerating the production of these dangerous toxins.
Darius Armstrong-James, professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London, told the FT: ‘There are serious threats from this organism both in terms of human health and food security.’
According to the study, the spread of the fugus could eventually wipe out existing habitats in African countries and Brazil, disrupting eco systems that are vital to life.
Recent data also suggests that the pathogen could become resistant to treatment.
This is due primarily to the overuse of anti-fungal drugs in medicine and agriculture, which has encouraged more toxic strains of the fungus to evolve that are resistant to high doses of the drugs, known as azoles.
Fungi also reproduces and evolves far quicker than humans. This means, the more these organisms come into contact with antifungal drugs, the more likely it is that resistant strains—or super-fungi—will emerge.
Another trigger is the use of human antifungal treatments to protect crops and plants from fungal diseases. Many of the fungi which infect humans also live in soil, which, when they come into contact with such chemicals, provides further opportunity for the creation of these super-fungi.
More and more strains of the fungus are becoming resistant to even high doses of anti-fungal drugs
Viv Goosesns, research manager at Wellcome, said climate change will only make these risks worse, resulting in more infections in healthy people.
She said: ‘Fungal pathogens pose a serious threat to human health by causing infections and disrupting food systems.
‘Climate change will make these risks worse. To address these challenges, we must fill important research gaps.
‘By using models and maps to track the spread of fungi, we can better direct resources and prepare for the future.’
Despite this urgent appeal, fungal infection research and treatment is alarmingly underfunded. According to the study, fewer than 10 per cent of an estimated 1.5 to 3.8million species have been identified.
Wellcome Trust is dedicating over £50million in funding towards fungal research over the next year.
This new research comes following an outbreak of A. fumigatus in 2021 which infected the weakened lungs of Covid patients in intensive care, killing up to 70 per cent of those affected.
Earlier this year, Matthew Langsworth, 32, from Leamington Spa was hospitalised by a life-threatening blood infection caused by invasive aspergillus, after living in a fungus-infected property where spores were covered up with paint.
Living in mouldy properties is known to cause a range of health problems including respiratory infections like aspergillus, asthma and allergies.
Mould — a microscopic fungus — causes these conditions by releasing thousands of microscopic toxic particles into the atmosphere.
Signs that you may be affected by household mould include a prolonged cough, wheeze or feeling short of breath.
Other symptoms include worsening of asthma and other respiratory conditions or those that involve the inflammation of the airways.
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