Kolkata Man Becomes World’s First Person to Be Infected by ‘Plant Fungus'

The 61-year-old man is a mycologist who routinely worked with decaying plant material.

First case of plant fungus. (Image for representational purpose only.)

(Photo: iStock)

A 61-year-old man in Kolkata has become the first case of fungal infection caused by plants, according to a report published in the journal, Medical Mycology Case.

What happened?

The man reportedly came to a hospital in Kolkata complaining of cough, hoarseness of voice, fatigue, difficulty in swallowing, sore throat for months.

When no bacterial infection was found, the doctors conducted a staining technique for fungi revealed the presence of traces of a type of fungus called 'Violet fungus'.

According to the report, the researches put two and two together, as the man was a plant mycologist, who routinely worked with plant fungi like mushrooms for long durations.

People with immunodeficiency, can be susceptible to fungal infections.

But...he had no history of diabetes, HIV infection, renal or any chronic disease, immunosuppressive drug intake or trauma.

What Next? According to the report, the man was put on a course of antifungal treatment, and two years on has successfully recovered.

According to experts, though the particular infection can be deadly in plants, so far it seems to be treatable with antifungal medication.

For further clarity, the doctors involved said they have sent samples to the “WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference & Research on Fungi of Medical Importance and sought their advice.

Why it matters: While humans do get fungal infections, researchers suggest that this is the first case of plant-to-human fungal infection of it's kind.

"This case highlights the potential of environmental plant fungi to causes disease in humans and stresses the importance of molecular techniques to identify the causative fungal species," says the report.