A person has been sickened by the fungus Chondrosterium purpureum in India, which is also the first of its kind. Photo: Courtesy of Down to Earth website
Calcutta: The world’s first unique medical case has occurred in India in which a person has been infected with a plant fungus and is still undergoing treatment.
A 61-year-old man from Calcutta complains of cough, difficulty in swallowing, weakness and hoarseness of voice. After several medical tests, it was found that he had contracted the disease from human transmission of the fungus ‘Chondrosterium purpureum’, which grows on a plant. It is also the first of its kind in medical history.
Plants affected by this fungus are also known as ‘leaf silver’ (siloleaf disease). This fungus causes disease especially in flowering plants. Now the same situation has affected humans as well.
There are tens of millions of species of fungi on the planet and this is the first case of their attack on human cells. In this, the fungus spreads cell surface radiation. The disease has been diagnosed by Soma Dutta and Ajwaini Ray of Apollo Hospitals.
An account of this has been published in the Journal of Medical Mycology, which is trying to find out the reasons. The fungal infection invades human cells and starts engulfing the cells through ‘phagocytosis’.
In their research, experts have shown a CT scan of the patient in which the glands on the side of the throat can be seen affected. It should be noted that earlier the epidemic of black fungus had also occurred in India, which has killed 4500 people so far.
The initial opinion of the experts is that the fungus is attacking humans due to the change in climate and the changing context, which requires detailed research.
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