Fungus normally attacks trees found in human trachea

In 2023, a rare case was reported where a fungus typically found in fruit trees, known as Chondrostereum purpureum, was discovered in the trachea of a 61-year-old man. This species is known to cause a disease called "lead disease" in fruit trees, but its ability to infect humans had never been recorded before.

Fungi and plants share some infection mechanisms

Laurence Lachaud, head of the parasitology-mycology department at the Montpellier University Hospital, explains that several human conditions can be caused by fungi that also affect plants. For example, the Fusarium genus of fungi can enter the human body through the respiratory tract, as people constantly inhale their spores.

Fungi face challenges in infecting humans

Unlike bacteria and viruses, which rely on specific receptors on human cells to infect them, fungi do not depend as much on such specific recognition. However, the human body's higher temperature often prevents these fungi from multiplying. Most plant pathogens struggle to survive in human hosts due to this difference.

Some plant viruses and bacteria can infect humans

One of the few plant viruses found in humans is the one that causes mild mottling in peppers. However, this is not a true infection, as the virus is ingested through food and passes through the body without replicating or causing disease. Some bacteria, like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can infect humans, but usually only in people with weakened immune systems.

Plant-related parasites can be contracted through food

It is important to distinguish cases where plants are simply a medium for infection from those where the plant itself is the source. For example, liver fluke and echinococcosis, also known as "fox disease," are caused by animal-origin parasites that are typically contracted by consuming contaminated plants.