Plant fungus infects humans for the first time (PICTURES)  

It reminds me of The Last of Us scenario

The fungus Chondrostereum purpureum infects the leaves and branches of a wide range of plants and is even fatal to the plant if not treated quickly. Now, in the first recorded case, it appears to be dangerous to humans as well, after infecting a 61-year-old Indian man in his throat.

The study states that the patient came to the hospital with a cough and hoarse voice, fatigue and difficulty swallowing. The CT scan revealed a pus-filled tumor in his trachea. Laboratory tests did not find any bacteria, and only a special test for fungi revealed the presence of a hypha, that is, a long, branching, filamentous fungal structure.

Of the millions of known species of fungi, only a few hundred can cause any problem to humans. The fact that this particular one managed to survive in such a hostile environment as the human body is truly remarkable, if not alarming. It should be noted that the patient had a fully functional immune system, without taking medication or having chronic diseases, diabetes or HIV.

Fortunately, in this particular case, the patient recovered after two months of treatment with a common antifungal drug. It remains unknown how the patient initially became infected.

The study was published in Medical Mycology Case Reports .