The State of Fungus in the US - A History, Part 1

The United States has taken a back seat to Europe in the study of medical mycology (study of fungi). It wasn't until the late 1940's that the United States focused on medical mycology as a separate science, not because pathogenic fungi was not studied by clinicians and researchers, but because mycology had been previously classified under pathology, microbiology, dermatology and bacteriology.

In 2003, Ana Victoria Espinel-Ingroff published Medical mycology in the United States: A historical analysis (1894-1996), a publication that became the milestone in the history of medical mycology in the United States. According to Espinel-Ingroff, "Lewis David von Schweinitz, of German origin, is regarded as the first American mycologist for his description and collection by the 1820s of over 1,300 fungi. However, it was not until the late 1890s that medical scientists began systematically to investigate fungi implicated in human disease."

One of the most well-known studies of fungal infection, first noted in the late 1890's and carrying into the 1940's by physicians and researchers, was "valley fever". It was isolated to the region of the San Joaquin Valley in California, and affected over 450 farm labourers and trainee soldiers. Studies found the fungal pathogen Coccidioides immitus had became airborne and entered the body through inhalation. This research was significant for medical mycology history because it encouraged other researchers to study the effects of fungal pathogens on humans, and brought attention to fungal disease as a major player in human disease.

Tune in tomorrow for more on The State of Fungus in the US - A History....
Here's a trivia question, "Who was the first person to develop an antifungal agent (drug)?"

A Fungal Secretion

Approximately 8 months ago, Japanese researchers reported their findings on how fungus creates a guise in their attack on the immune system of plants, animals and humans. The guise is called chitin fragments - particles deposited around a fungus, which warns a host of a potential attack, stimulating its immune system. Once the immune system is warned, a protein is secreted by the fungus which collects the chitin fragments and makes them invisible to the plant, animal or human. The immune system backs down because it lacks recognition of the fungus and the attack begins. Pretty smart, those fungi.

"This knowledge may enable scientists to design novel methods to combat fungal diseases in agriculture (leaf mould, root and stalk rot, smut, wilt disease, apple scab, rust, tree cancer) and in health care (dandruff, athlete's foot, candida-infections, aspergillosis, etc.)."1

What the statement above fails to recognize are the numerous other diseases, potentially life-threatening, that are prevalent in many facets of society. Fungal related disease can strike anyone, at any time, especially those with weakened immune systems. These fungi have the capability of developing strategies to avoid an attack by white blood cells in humans, and create a very complex environment in the host body for any researcher to pinpoint the most effective counterattack. Another problem with a fungal disease is its ability to invade the body, multiply quickly and harbor itself before being recognized by a healthcare professional.

One well known fungal strain causing attention in the Northwestern United States is Cryptococcus gattii. Due to cold temperatures and the strain being of tropical origins, it has taken approximately twelve years to spread from Vancouver, British Columbia, down the coast to northern California. This particular strain causes severe respiratory and brain infection, however, is still pretty rare.

Other strains of fungal infections and disease are Candida glabrata (a skin fungus that rapidly mutates once in the blood stream); Chromoblastomycosis; Zygomycosis; Onychomycosis (the most common nail infection); and Endophthalmitis. There are way too many to list here.

The bright side to all this? A person can protect themselves from fungal infection and disease by eating a very low carbohydrate diet, taking probiotics and taking a series of antifungals to kill off any potential invasive organisms. The low carbohydrate diet is just as critical as supplementation because the lack of sugars in the body will starve fungus, keeping it from multiplying. Here's a little evidence to prove it.


1Wageningen University and Research Centre (2010, August 20). Smart fungus disarms plant, animal and human immunity. ScienceDaily.

Heightened Awareness

Pathogens are anything capable of producing disease - like fungi, bacteria, virus and other microbials. The popular cause of disease in the last few decades have been the viral and bacterial diseases, but like anything, the tables are turning more and more towards extensive fungal disease. According to Dr. Brian Shaw, Texas AgriLife Research plant pathologist, "some 70 percent of the major disease-causing organisms are fungi."

In the past few years focus has increased toward understanding fungi and their relationship to disease in humans, agriculture and the environment. Fungal disease is prevalent in humans either in a minor form, such as a toenail infection, or can become a potentially life-threatening, systemic infection. Our nations farmers have fought for hundreds of years to eradicate fungal disease and it's effects from their crops. In some areas of the world crop destruction by fungal disease has caused huge economic devastation.

This topic has warranted enough attention for the American Academy of Microbiology to suggest reports on the following:

"Evaluate the Impacts of Mold in Homes and Businesses

There is a serious lack of scientific data to support any stance with respect to indoor mold toxicity or remediation. More effort should be devoted to testing and long-term monitoring of mold contamination and human health in New Orleans and other areas flooded by Hurricane Katrina. Natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina provide natural laboratories for understanding how fungi respond to disturbance and the subsequent impacts they have on human health.

Create a Fungal Genomes Database

Researchers involved with fungi must focus efforts on developing a comprehensive fungal genomics database in order to make the vast quantities of sequence data more available and to enable the field to fully capitalize on the promise of genomics.

Report and Track Fungal Infections

Public health agencies should implement formal programs to report cases, track disease progress, and design interventions in outbreaks of fungal disease. The lack of reporting and tracking systems has made it difficult to control the spread of fungal pathogens, because good epidemiological data on the scope of infection is usually not available."

American Society for Microbiology (2008, July 3). Fungi The Cause Of Many Outbreaks Of Disease, But Mostly Ignored. ScienceDaily.