Foiling the Growing Threat of Fungal Pathogens

In recent years, wildfires have ravaged millions of acres across the western United States. The environmental effects of such fires are profound and evident, but the more subtle harm to public health may prove to be devastating. Wildfire smoke has been associated with microbial proliferation and dispersion, leading to an increase in fungal infections in affected areas, as evidenced by a rise in hospital admissions within a few months of large-scale wildfires in California. Investigators have suggested that inhalation of fungal spores, coupled with wildfire smoke interfering with the immune system, may be driving these illnesses.

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