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Plastic pollution as a novel reservoir for the environmental survival of the drug resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris
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This study investigated the effects of nanoplastics on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, finding dose-dependent inhibition of seed germination and root elongation. Uptake of fluorescent polystyrene nanoplastics was confirmed by confocal microscopy, showing accumulation in root epidermal cells and suggesting active uptake mechanisms in plant tissues.
The WHO recently classified Candida auris as a fungal pathogen of "critical concern". Evidence suggests that C. auris emerged from the natural environment, yet the ability of this pathogenic yeast to survive in the natural environment is still poorly understood. The aim of this study, therefore, was to quantify the persistence of C. auris in simulated environmental matrices and explore the role of plastic pollution for facilitating survival and potential transfer of C. auris. Multi-drug resistant strains of C. auris persisted for over 30 days in river water or seawater, either planktonically, or in biofilms colonising high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or glass. C. auris could be transferred from plastic beads onto simulated beach sand, particularly when the sand was wet. Importantly, all C. auris cells recovered from plastics retained their pathogenicity; therefore, plastic pollution could play a significant role in the widescale environmental dissemination of this recently emerged pathogen.
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Thermotolerance, virulence, and drug resistance of human pathogenic Candida species colonising plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems
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This study isolated five pathogenic Candida species from plastic debris collected in freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments, with all isolates showing antifungal drug resistance and thermotolerance to human body temperature. Plastic pellets deployed near a wastewater discharge pipe became colonized by Candida with species composition reflecting the upstream/downstream source, suggesting plastic pollution facilitates environmental dissemination of clinically important pathogens.
Fluconazole resistant pathogenic yeasts isolated from plastic debris on recreational public beaches in West and East Africa
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This study screened plastic debris collected from recreational beaches in Nigeria and Tanzania for colonization by human pathogenic yeasts, finding that all beach sites and all plastic polymer types harbored at least one pathogenic yeast species, with Candida tropicalis being the most common. Importantly, most isolates showed resistance to fluconazole — Africa's most commonly prescribed antifungal — raising significant public health concerns about plastic debris as a vector for drug-resistant fungal pathogens.
Biofilms on urban aquatic plastic pollution as a reservoir for pathogenic yeasts
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This study assessed the ability of conventional coagulation-flocculation water treatment to remove microplastics from drinking water. Treatment removed a high proportion of particles, but nanoplastic-sized particles showed lower removal efficiency, indicating that nanoplastics may pass through conventional treatment barriers.
Aquatic Plastisphereas a Reservoir for Pathogenicand Antifungal-Resistant Fungi
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Scientists found that plastic debris floating in urban waterways is coated with a slimy microbial film that harbors disease-causing fungi—including some already flagged by the WHO as high-risk—many of which showed resistance to common antifungal drugs. This matters because it suggests plastic pollution isn't just an environmental problem; it may also be helping drug-resistant fungal infections spread and hitch rides through our water systems, making them harder to treat if they reach people.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.