Aspergillus fungi is spreading due to climate change

A recent study from the University of Manchester, published as a preprint on Research Square, has indicated a distributional shift in certain pathogenic Aspergillus species, the causative agents of aspergillosis, towards more northerly areas of Europe, America, and Asia, attributable to increasing global temperatures. Conversely, regions such as Africa and Australia are becoming prohibitively warm for their continued propagation. Utilizing climate models and projections, researchers under the direction of Dr. Norman van Rhijn at the University of Manchester demonstrated a potential 77.5% increase in the distribution of Aspergillus fumigatus across Europe, thereby placing an estimated additional nine million individuals at risk of infection. Aspergillosis, a pulmonary disease acquired through the inhalation of fungal spores, exhibits significant mortality rates, ranging from 20% to 40%, due in part to diagnostic limitations, the absence of vaccines, and limited therapeutic interventions.