Scientists in China have discovered a previously unknown fungal pathogen that can infect humans.
The fungus, called Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis, was found in clinical samples from two unconnected hospital patients. In experiments, the researchers found that the yeast was resistant to several first-line antifungal drugs at higher temperatures — around that of the human body. This temperature also gave rise to "hypervirulent mutants" capable of causing more-severe disease in lab mice.
