Citizen science reveals landscape-scale exposures to multiazole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus bioaerosols

Shelton, Jennifer M.G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1429-6845; Rhodes, Johanna; Uzzell, Christopher B.; Hemmings, Samuel; Brackin, Amelie P.; Sewell, Thomas R.; Alghamdi, Asmaa; Dyer, Paul S.; Fraser, Mark; Borman, Andrew M.; Johnson, Elizabeth M.; Piel, Frédéric B.; Singer, Andrew C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4705-6063; Fisher, Matthew C.. 2023 Citizen science reveals landscape-scale exposures to multiazole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus bioaerosols. Science Advances, 9 (29), eadh8839. 10, pp. 10.1126/sciadv.adh8839

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh8839

Abstract/Summary

Using a citizen science approach, we identify a country-wide exposure to aerosolized spores of a human fungal pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, that has acquired resistance to the agricultural fungicide tebuconazole and first-line azole clinical antifungal drugs. Genomic analysis shows no distinction between resistant genotypes found in the environment and in patients, indicating that at least 40% of azole-resistant A. fumigatus infections are acquired from environmental exposures. Hotspots and coldspots of aerosolized azole-resistant spores were not stable between seasonal sampling periods. This suggests a high degree of atmospheric mixing resulting in an estimated per capita cumulative annual exposure of 21 days (±2.6). Because of the ubiquity of this measured exposure, it is imperative that we determine sources of azole-resistant A. fumigatus to reduce treatment failure in patients with aspergillosis.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1126/sciadv.adh8839
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Pollution (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	2375-2548
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Health Biology and Microbiology Data and Information
Related URLs:	Other Other
Date made live:	09 Nov 2023 10:50 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/535786

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1126/sciadv.adh8839

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Pollution (Science Area 2017-)

ISSN:

2375-2548

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

NORA Subject Terms:

Health
Biology and Microbiology
Data and Information