Could fungi be the source of our next pandemic?

By Oladele A. Ogunseitan, University of California, Irvine in California

A focus on viruses as our next pandemic source may divert attention from other serious microbial threats.

We know a lot about the benefits of fungi, including brewer’s yeast, mushrooms, Roquefort cheese and the production of antibiotics such as penicillin. But we know a lot less about the threats to global health posed by fungi, such as those that emerged or re-emerged during the current pandemic.