Kolkata man catches potentially deadly plant disease; first such case in world

According to researchers, this case highlights how plant infections can be transmitted to humans through close contact with infected plants.

NewsBharati    01-Apr-2023 13:14:21 PM
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A 61-year-old Kolkata-based plant mycologist is the first person to be diagnosed with a fungal disease that usually targets plants. The man went to a hospital in Kolkata after suffering from a hoarse voice, cough, fatigue, and difficulties swallowing for three months.
 

According to researchers, this case highlights how plant infections can be transmitted to humans through close contact with infected plants.
 
 
 
 plant disease

According to the research 'Mycology Case Reports' which was published on Science Direct, silver leaf is a fungal disease of trees caused by the fungal plant pathogen Chondrostereum purpureum which typically affects members of the Rose family.
 

Researchers said, "The patient was working with decaying material, mushrooms, and various plant fungi for a long time as part of his research activities. After several tests, the fungus could not be identified phenotypically, so it was sent to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Fungi of Medical importance" in India which identified it as Chondrostereum purpureum by DNA sequencing."
 

However, according to the research, "The patient denied having worked with such a plant pathogen but he confirmed that he was working with decaying material and other plant fungi for a long time as part of his research activities."
 

The doctors who are following this case study said, "The patient was facing difficulty swallowing and anorexia for the last three months." They added, "The plant mycologist had no history of diabetes, HIV infection, renal disease, any chronic disease, immunosuppressive drug intake, or trauma."
 

Elaborating on the case, researchers Dr Soma Dutta and Dr Ujjwayini Ray of the Consultant Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals in Kolkata further explained, "Chondrostereum purpureum is a plant fungus that causes silver leaf disease in plants, particularly those in the rose family. This is the first instance of a plant fungus causing disease in a human. Conventional techniques (microscopy and culture) failed to identify the fungus."
 

"Only through sequencing could the identity of this unusual pathogen be revealed. This case highlights the potential of environmental plant fungi to cause disease in humans and stresses the importance of molecular techniques to identify the causative fungal species," doctors added.

Doctors diagnose potential cause of rare infection

Doctors further said that recurrent exposure to the decaying material may be the cause of this rare infection. "This fungal infection was evident from macroscopic and microscopic morphology, but the nature of infection, potentiality to disseminate, etc. could not be ascertained," they said.

They identified a neck abscess in the man and performed a surgical procedure to drain it and said, "After the surgical procedure, an X-ray examination showed no unusual findings, and the patient was prescribed a round of antifungal medication."

Researchers in the study added that the patient was absolutely fine after two years of follow-up and there is no evidence of recurrence.