Fungal Spores Can Travel Thousands Of Miles To Infect People

luke-curtis
(fungi) and their spores are found in a wide range of Earth environments. A recent study in the soil of Antarctica found viable spores from 11 mold taxa including the common indoor molds Aspergillus and Penicillium (Godinho, Goncalves et al. 2015).

{flike}

Viable fungi are found almost everywhere on earth including on mountains, deserts, oceans and freshwater lakes/rivers, and virtually every indoor environment. Another recent study found 2 strains of the common pathogenic mold Aspergillus fumigatus in the International Space Station (Knox, Blachowicz et al. 2016).

The exact lifespan of fungal spores is not well known, however many fungal spores can remain alive (viable) for months to years. Such spores can then germinate when given proper moisture and environmental conditions. Many fungal spores (including those of species which cause infections in humans, animals, and plants) can travel for hundreds or thousands of miles in air and can remain viable. 
 

 {module FL-VOL1}


There have been several well-documented cases of rust fungi having traveled by air long distances to cause serious infections of important crop plants, including: 1) sugarcane rust traveling from Africa to the West Indies in 1978, 2) coffee leaf rust traveling from Africa to Brazil in 1970, 3) wheat rust traveling from Africa to Australia in 1969, and 4) wheat rust traveling from Australia to New Zealand in 1980 (Brown and Hovmoller 2002). Some studies have reported that large amounts of African dust and be transported across the Atlantic and deposit in places as far west as New Mexico and as far north as Maine (Shinn, Griffin et al. 2003).

Microbial studies have reported that a large number of viable fungi is present in this transatlantic African dust, including many common fungi which contain allergens and mycotoxins including Alternaria, Aspergillus, Bipolaris, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Nigrospora, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis, and Trichophyton (Shinn, Griffin et al. 2003).


References / Sources

Brown, J. K. and M. S. Hovmoller (2002). “Aerial dispersal of pathogens on the global and continental scales and its impact on plant disease.” Science 297(5581): 537-541.

Godinho, V. M., et al. (2015). “Diversity and bioprospection of fungal community present in oligotrophic soil of continental Antarctica.” Extremophiles 19(3): 585-596.

Knox, B. P., et al. (2016). “Characterization of Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates from Air and Surfaces of the International Space Station.” mSphere 1(5).

Shinn, E. A., et al. (2003). “Atmospheric transport of mold spores in clouds of desert dust.” Arch Environ Health 58(8): 498-504.

 

{flike}
 

Related Articles and videos
{module Related Articles}

{fcomments}

Share on Facebook
Share on Reddit
Share via Email
Share on Twitter

Leave a Reply

Recent Articles

Weekly Q&A Show

Featured Sponsor

Follow Us

Doug's Books

Doug Kaufmann has written many books that cover a full range or health issues. Find out which of his books best suits you by clicking the button below.

The Kaufmann Diet

Doug Kaufmann developed his diet after years studying the clinical effects of pathogenic fungi on the body. Fungi and yeasts can become parasitic organisms on and inside our body, causing health problems that can be difficult to diagnose. Learn more about the Kaufmann Diet, change your life and know the cause.

The Science of Fungus

We encourage all visitors to this site to take some time and study these technical articles prior to initiating lifestyle changes, including dietary changes and to do so with their physician’s awareness and approval. The articles posted in this link are scientific and with few exceptions are taken from medical journals familiar to healthcare workers.

Our Healthy Recipes

Looking for help assembling antifungal Kaufmann Diet approved recipes for breakfast, lunch or dinner? We have several videos, books and recipe write ups here on Know the Cause that will help your health journey. The recipes in this section are so good, you’ll feel like you’re indulging. No sacrifice needed! Enjoy.