A never-before-seen fungus that can infect humans has been detected in  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/china/index.html - China .

Two men, in their 60s and 80s, have already died while infected with the pathogen, called R. fluvialis, though it's unclear if the fungus contributed to their deaths.

Researchers at Nanjing Medical Center who made the discovery fear others may also have contracted the disease, which is a type of yeast.

In an experiment in mice, R. fluvialis was shown to mutate rapidly, suggesting the same could happen in humans if it becomes widespread.

Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis is a species of fungus in the family  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporidiobolaceae - Sporidiobolaceae . It is a human fungal pathogen that exhibits resistance to antifungal compounds like  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluconazole - fluconazole  and  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspofungin - caspofungin . ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodosporidiobolus_fluvialis#cite_note-2 - [2]}

Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis was isolated from two independent patients. It can proliferate well at 37 °C (99 °F), a temperature similar to the human body's internal temperature. When it is incubated at 37 °C (99 °F),  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_oxygen_species - reactive oxygen species  accumulate and damage its DNA, which causes mutations that lead to the development of resistance to  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphotericin_B - amphotericin-B . ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodosporidiobolus_fluvialis#cite_note-:0-3 - [3]}

R. fluvialis colonies can be pigmented due to the accumulation of carotenoids in the cells. Carotenoid production has been associated with its resistance to  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspofungin - caspofungin . ^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodosporidiobolus_fluvialis#cite_note-:0-3 - [3]}