
A guy from Kolkata became the first person to be diagnosed with a potentially fatal fungal infection produced by plants. This reveals a plant pathogen crossover into people when working in close contact with plant fungus.
According to doctors in the journal Medical Mycology Case Reports, the 61-year-old plant mycologist visited the outpatient department of Consultant Apollo Multispeciality Hospital in Kolkata for three months with complaints of cough, hoarseness of voice, recurrent pharyngitis, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, and anorexia.
Chondrostereum Purpureum
He had no history of diabetes, HIV infection, renal failure, or any other chronic disease, immunosuppressive drug use, or trauma. Doctors stated the unnamed individual has been working with rotting material, mushrooms, and various plant fungi for a long period as part of his scientific efforts.
While his chest X-ray was normal, a CT scan of his neck revealed a paratracheal abscess. Doctors extracted the pus and submitted a sample to the WHO for testing, where he was diagnosed with Chondrostereum purpureum.
Is There A Treatment For Plant Fungus?

Chrondrostereum purpureum is a kind of fungus that belongs to the Corticiaceae family, according to Dr. Shuchin Bajaj, Founder and Director of Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals. It is usually referred to as “violet fungus,” and it can infect humans.
According to the findings, Chondrostereum purpureum produces the fungal disease Silver Leaf, which primarily affects rose species. It is a lethal disease that spreads by silvering leaves and branches with its spores. It is an airborne disease, with spores delivered by the wind to newly exposed sapwood.
Dr. Bajaj stated that antifungal drugs are often used to treat this fungal infection, which can be either orally or topically depending on the severity of the infection. Similarly, in this case, the individual received antifungal drugs and recovered successfully after two years of follow-up.