Researchers find drug-resistant environmental mold capable of infecting humans

The researchers found six patients infected with a drug-resistant fungus called Aspergillus fumigatus, which can be traced to spores in the environment

Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental mold that causes fungal lung disease

This resistance has evolved because of the widespread use of azole fungicides in agriculture, the scientists said

The researchers called for increased monitoring of A.

Senior author Professor Matthew Fisher, from Imperial's School of Public Health, said: "Understanding environmental hotspots and the genetic basis of the evolution of resistance in fungi requires urgent attention, as resistance is compromising our ability to prevent and treat the disease

He added: "The prevalence of drug-resistant aspergillosis has risen from negligible levels before 1999 to now account for 3-40% of cases across Europe

For the study, researchers isolated 218 A.

The researchers extracted DNA from mold samples and sequenced them to determine whether there was a crossover of drug-resistant spores found in the environment and in some patients

They found six strains of A.

Lead author Dr Johanna Rhodes, from the Royal Medical Research Council Centre for Global Disease Analysis at the School of Public Health, said: "An increasing number of cases of aspergillosis are becoming resistant to first-line azoles

Of the 218 samples, nearly half (106 samples) developed resistance to at least one azole drug in first-line clinical use

In 218 samples, the researchers identified 50 new genes associated with drug resistance

By looking at the genes of the A.

The findings suggest that the full extent of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus remains to be understood, the scientists said

Dr Rhodes said: "Our findings highlight new ways in which drug-resistant infections can spread to humans and demonstrate the need for a better understanding of where and how A.

The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, the Wellcome Foundation, and the Gilead Sciences and Medical Research Council

Journal Reference :

1. Rhodes, J.
   , Abdolrasouli, A.
   , Dunne, K.
   et al.
   Population genomics confirms acquisition of drug-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus infection by humans from the environment .
   Nat Microbiol , 2022 DOI: 10.
   1038/s41564-022-01091-2  2022 ).