Episode Overview

Title: Two Pathogenic Fungi Crossed the Species Barrier—Can Now Infect Humans
Podcast: Facts Matter (The Epoch Times)
Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Roman Balmakov

The episode explores the alarming emergence of two pathogenic fungi—Candida auris and Sporothrix—that have adapted to infect humans. Host Roman Balmakov delves into how these fungi are evolving in response to climate change, crossing species barriers, and becoming increasingly difficult to contain, raising concerns within the scientific and medical communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fungi and Popular Culture: Reality vs. Fiction

• Introduction references the video game and TV show The Last of Us and its premise of a mutated fungus (Cordyceps) infecting humanity.
• Cordyceps in real life only infects insects, hijacking their bodies for spore dispersal (00:00–02:05).
  • Notable Quote:
    "It basically looks like the insects are alive and well until the fungus makes them bite down into the ground. It's called a death bite and they're basically stuck there forever." — Roman (01:00)

Insight: While the mind-control scenario remains fiction for humans, there's rising concern that evolving fungi are now presenting real threats.

2. Why Humans Were (Once) Safe From Fungal Infections

• Historically, human body temperature (98°F) acted as a natural barrier against most fungi (02:55–04:05).
  • Expert Quote:
    "A lot of different fungi really have a particular thermal barrier, a temperature that they like to grow at, and some people think that our human body temperature has evolved specifically because of fungi and we're just too warm for the vast majority of fungi to grow." — Dr. George Thompson, UC Davis (03:35)

Insight: Rising global temperatures are forcing fungi to adapt and tolerate higher heat, closing the gap between their thermal threshold and that of humans.

3. Fungal Evolution Due to Climate Change

• Warmer, more humid environments accelerate fungal adaptation, making species more dangerous to humans.
• People with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised) are at greatest risk, though immunity is not a foolproof barrier anymore (04:15–05:20).

4. Pathogen Profile 1: Candida auris

Background and Spread:

• Discovered in 2009, Candida auris is a type of yeast that easily spreads in healthcare facilities.
• Causes superficial to life-threatening infections, notably bloodstream infections. Difficult to detect and highly resistant to cleaning and antifungal medicines (05:25–07:10).

Key Data:

• CDC labeled C. auris an "emerging health threat" in March 2023 due to:
  • Dramatic rise in resistance to antifungal medications (triple the cases over previous two years).
  • Widespread geographic spread: from 17 states (2021) to over 30 (2025), with concentrations in California, Nevada, Florida, New York, and Illinois.

Expert Perspective:

• Dr. Arturo Casadevall (Johns Hopkins) underscores the unprecedented nature of C. auris’s emergence on multiple continents simultaneously and links its adaptation to global warming (07:31–09:18).
  • Memorable Quote:
    "So the question I pose to you and to our readers is what's going on here? Fungus not known to medicine shows up simultaneously in three continents, and they are not related... All three places are experiencing global warming... We have proposed that this is the canary in the coal mine." — Dr. Arturo Casadevall (07:48)
  • Memorable Quote:
    "If you have a fungus that can't grow, let's say... above 95 degrees, well, it's not pathogenic today. But if in two or three years it can go to 98 degrees, well, you're not going to keep them out." (09:01)

Concerns:

• C. auris demonstrates high resistance and can colonize healthy individuals undetected ("colonization"), facilitating silent spread.
• The close genetic relationship between fungi and humans (50% shared DNA) makes developing effective antifungal treatments challenging.

5. Pathogen Profile 2: Sporothrix

Evolution and Transmission:

• Formerly harmless to mammals due to temperature limitations, Sporothrix adapted to higher temperatures and became dimorphic (can switch between two forms depending on temperature) (09:18–11:00).
• Now infects mammals—mainly cats, but also humans—by:
  • Transmission through skin lesions, oral/nasal secretions, and direct bites or scratches.

Impact:

• Causes sporotrichosis in humans: severe skin infection with bumps, open sores, potential for vision impairment and lung problems.
• Can invade bones, joints, and the central nervous system.

Epidemiological Trends:

• First human infection from a cat documented in Brazil in the 1990s.
• 2020–2023: Sharp rise in cases—950 humans and 2,823 animals in Brazil alone (11:51).
  • Report Quote:
    "A striking rise in both human and animal cases was observed from 2020 to 2023, totalizing 950 human and 2,823 animal sporotrichosis... progressing from downtown areas to the periphery." (11:56)

Global Spread:

• Initially in South America, with first non-South American cases reported in the UK (2023) after interactions with cats imported from Brazil (12:54).
• Cases now appearing in China, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and South Africa.
• No purely US-based cases yet; US cases linked to travel.

Notable Case Details:

• UK patients infected by contact with a single cat exhibited ulcerated lesions, requiring long-term antifungal therapy; all were previously healthy, showing even immunocompetent individuals are at risk (13:20).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------| | 01:00 | "It's called a death bite and they're basically stuck there forever. And then a giant parasite sprouts out their back..." | Roman | | 03:35 | "Our human body temperature has evolved specifically because of fungi and we're just too warm for the vast majority of fungi to grow." | Dr. George Thompson | | 07:48 | "Fungus not known to medicine shows up simultaneously in three continents, and they are not related. ... All three places are experiencing global warming... We have proposed that this is the canary in the coal mine." | Dr. Arturo Casadevall | | 09:01 | "If you have a fungus that can't grow... above 95 degrees, well, it's not pathogenic today. But if in two or three years it can go to 98 degrees, well, you're not going to keep them out." | Dr. Arturo Casadevall | | 11:56 | "A striking rise in both human and animal cases was observed from 2020 to 2023, totalizing 950 human and 2,823 animal sporotrichosis." | Anonymous Researcher/Report |

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Topic | Timeframe | |-------------------------------------------|---------------| | Cordyceps fungus in fiction vs. reality | 00:00–02:30 | | Fungal immunity and rising temperatures | 02:30–04:05 | | Introduction to Candida auris | 05:25–07:10 | | Dr. Casadevall on C. auris and climate | 07:31–09:18 | | Introduction to Sporothrix | 09:18–11:00 | | Case statistics and global spread | 11:51–13:52 |

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Climate change is driving fungi to adapt, breaking traditional barriers and enabling infections in humans.
• Candida auris and Sporothrix each present unique threats, including high resistance to treatments, and ability to infect previously healthy individuals.
• While scenarios like The Last of Us remain fictional, the global spread and adaptation of these fungi warrant vigilance and proactive public health surveillance.
• Particular caution should be taken by healthcare workers and those interacting with animals (especially cats) in affected regions.

Host’s Closing Note:
"These are the two pathogenic fungi making the jump to humans that we collectively should watch out for now. At the moment they are still relatively small and neither of them cause you can say the last of us style zombie symptoms. But better to still be vigilant..." — Roman (14:01)

For Further Reading:
Host Roman mentions that research notes and sources are available in the episode’s description box.