Just when we thought it was safe to go to the local garden center, researchers from Japan have discovered that fungicide-resistant strains of a nasty pathogen have been getting up to no good among the tulip bulbs.
In a study published in August in Environmental Microbiology researchers from the University of Tsukuba and Chiba University have revealed that plant bulbs harboring a potentially lethal pathogen also make the perfect lab for evolving fungicide-resistant strains.
The risk associated with fungal infections is increasing, with occurrences of pulmonary aspergillosis (PA), a deadly fungal infection caused by the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, rising globally. Of particular concern are influenza-related PA and Covid-19-related PA, the case numbers of which are growing quickly. [Read more…] about Secret garden: Drug-resistant pathogen strains meet and evolve on plant bulbs