Deadly
If you’ve read any news about bees, frogs, or bats dying off suddenly, much of that was caused by fungus. “Fungi kill more people than malaria and tuberculosis worldwide,” explained Professor Rosemary Barnes of Cardiff University in a January 2015 press release. “They destroy about a third of all arable food crops.
”In fact, fungus is the biggest killer in the world, and we’re not talking about someone accidentally eating a poisonous mushroom. The scariest thing about fungus is that you can breathe in a deadly spore and never know it. For example, Coccidioidomycosis (aka “valley fever”) is a fungal disease that lives in the soil of the American Southwest. If you breathe it in, you may develop a fever or nothing may happen at all. It can also turn into a flesh-eating infection that gnaws away at your lungs, your joints, or the protective membranes of your brain and spinal cord.
If you’re out enjoying a hike, you could inadvertently contract a disease that will be with you for the rest of your life. Similar to valley fever, the Pacific Northwest has Cryptococcus gattii. There are no preventive measures. There is no vaccine, either. Even masks don’t work because the spores are too small. But the good news is that fungal infections are not contagious. The bad news is that they’re spreading.
I know, I know...you really didn't need to read this article this morning. Just thought you all needed something else to help you sleep better at night, ya know? Heck, it's no wonder some folks go nuts thinking about all the weird ways that Nature is fighting back. Almost makes a good story line for a horror movie, right?
Coffee out on the patio this morning.
