TOXICITY: Fusarium-INFECTED HUMANS

FUSARIOSIS IN HUMANS: Fusarium-INFECTED HUMANS

Human Fusarium infection or Fusariosis, usually occurs in immunocompromised individuals, such as those affected by other diseases such as AIDS (HIV) or even a severe case of the common cold. Extreme exhaustion can also produce an immunocompromised state.

Fusarium attacks cells in humans much the way in attacks cells in plants -through the secretion of mycotoxins that it itself is immune to. These mycotoxins dissolve the cell walls, and the fungus is then free to absorb the cell's contents, and enter the cell cavity, reproduce, and continue the process attacking other cells.

The first reference we have to Fusarium in humans dates from an 1916 article published in French by Dr. N.V. Greco in an Argentine Medical Journal called Origine des Tumeurs (Etiologie du Cancer, etc.) et Observations de Mycoses (Blastomycosis, etc) Argentines in which he described a fungal infection of the nose which he believed to be caused by a Fusaria.

The literature regarding human Fusarium oxysporum infections is worthy of consideration by those who would wish to use this mycotoxin, even in non-wartime applications. In one medical study, Fusarium oxysporum produced a 76% mortality rate in hospitalized immunocompromised patents. Applied in a wartime situation in southern Colombia, for instance, where by definition, a state of war would exist, we could expect everyone on the ground to be mildly-to-seriously immunocompromised. Under such circumstances, a massive Fusarium application might produce effects verging on biowarfare (see Bigwood's lecture). Dr. David Sands (and we presume the USDA/ARS) were aware of this situation as early as March 10, 1989. In a letter to the DEA, he stated: "Please refer to Dr. Rinaldi's comments in an earlier proposal package noting that this fungus is only a problem in immunocompromised patients."

"Members of the genus Fusarium are ubiquitous fungi uncommonly associated with infection. Human infection usually occurs as a result of inoculation of the organism through the body surface, thus causing skin infection, onychomycosis, keratitis, endophthalmitis and arthritis. Fusarium is one of the fungi that can produce micetoma. Dissemination may occur in subjects with underlying immunodeficiency Disseminated fusariosis typically occurs in neutropenic hosts and carries a high mortality rate. Characteristically, a profoundly neutropenic patient has had the abrupt onset of fever, sometimes with myalgia, followed in 66 percent of cases by distinctive skin lesions: multiple sites, predominantly on the extremities, develop painful erythematous macules or papules. Central pallor is followed by necrosis and ulceration. Blood cultures have been positive in 59 percent of cases, including a few that seemed to be due to infected central venous catheters. Amphotericin B is the drug of choice, although it appears to be poor correlation between in vitro susceptibility and clinical response. Prognosis is poor, with a mortality of 76% in the 85 reported cases. Survival was related to the resolution of the neutropenia." From Washington University Infectious Diseases Division Fusarium handouts

"The genus Fusarium contains important mycotoxin-producing species that have been implicated in human diseases, such as alimentary toxic aleukia, Urov or Kashin-Beck disease, Akakabi-byo or scabby grain intoxication, and esophageal cancer. Many of these mycotoxin-producing species have also been implicated in several animal diseases, including hemorrhagic, estrogenic, emetic, and feed refusal syndromes, fescue foot, degnala disease, moldy sweet potato toxicosis, bean hulls poisoning, and equine leukoencephalomalacia. The interest in toxigenic Fusarium species is increasing world-wide due to the discovery of a growing number of naturally occurring Fusarium mycotoxins that have practical importance as threats to human and animal health." quoted from Toxigenic Fusarium Species by Marasas et alia, Penn State U, 1984