the closest known relative of C. auris teeth C. Hemlonyfound in Wide environmentfrom the guts of fish in the western Atlantic to the skins of dolphins to the seas off the coast of Portugal.
Like its cousin, it is considered C. auris It is not limited to animal hosts, which greatly expands the possibilities of wild reservoirs. But there are some clues. first, C. auris especially salt toleranceConcentrations much higher than those that inhibit the growth of most bacteria can be tolerated. Second, it can grow well in warm conditions. Grows even at 42°C.
Armed with this information and knowledge of its closest relatives, an international team of scientists decided to investigate several environments in the Andaman Islands. The Andaman Islands are a place where people believed their fungal flora were less affected by human activity than elsewhere on Earth. They took samples from rocky shores, sandy beaches, marshes and mangroves around the archipelago and analyzed them to C. auris.
They found evidence of the fungus in two places: Corbin Cove Beach and a nearby salt marsh. Did this new pathogen emerge from the ocean?
Unfortunately, just as the mystery seemed to be solved, another research team made a surprising discovery. C. auris was found lurking in Indian apple surface – And the strains on the fruit were strikingly similar to those found in the ocean.
human cause
true origin of C. auris Remaining a complete mystery, both findings support a leading theory as to why the pathogen has only recently begun infecting people: the first is climate change.
Fungi usually do not cope well with hot environments.they are much better at infecting animals cooler body temperaturesuch as insects and amphibians. They were able to completely take over the former’s body, leading to a zombie-like state that inspired the video game and TV series The Last of Us. bottom. exactly 50 years.
This Achilles heel is thought to be one reason why mammals and birds evolved with warmer body temperatures. Main advantage Some experts believe it is partly due – in the ongoing battle with these creatures rise of mammals After the dinosaurs became extinct. This factor is very strong and Cure a frog for a deadly fungal infection Just heat it up (don’t try it at home). But these dynamics are changing as the climate warms.
“Once they can live and thrive in temperatures close to body temperature, they can, of course, grow in human bodies,” says Gow. , which might have made it possible C. auris To withstand the refreshing conditions of our bodies.
Another idea is C. auris Its appearance is due to the widespread use of antifungal agents. Today, these drugs and pesticides are Suppress the growth of microorganisms However, tolerance may have developed through this practice. As a result, it can spread among humans much more rapidly than before, especially in hospitals.
But despite these findings, Gou explains that there are very few reports of it. C. auris In the natural environment, “it’s a bit of uncharted or unexplored territory”. And what are the chances of discovering the exact location where it appeared?
At least for the time being, research suggests that our own species may be responsible for this emerging infectious threat.
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