Gardening is a healthy and fulfilling hobby for many Australians, but like many activities in our daily lives, it carries some risk, particularly when using potting soil and compost.
Potting soil and compost can contain Legionella bacteria, which causes Legionnaires' disease, a deadly form of pneumonia.
These products also provide a breeding ground for fungi.
Queenslander Paul Minuzzo lost his upper jaw and many teeth after contracting a life-threatening fungal infection called mucormycosis.
Minuzzo doesn't know where the infection came from, but experts have told him it could be spores in the potting soil.
Mucormycosis infections can be life-threatening, difficult to treat, and very rare, but there are some precautions worth taking to reduce your risk.
Who is at risk for fungal infections while gardening?
Fungal infections such as mucormycosis are mostly seen in people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant recipients or those being treated for cancer with chemotherapy, explains Prof Monica Slavin.
She is Director of Infectious Diseases at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Director of the National Centre for Cancer Infection at the University of Melbourne.
“These fungal spores are all around us; we inhale them every day, and our lung immune system eliminates them,” she says.
“But if you have a weakened immune system, [the spores] It could cause problems.”
These bacteria prefer hosts with high blood sugar levels, so people with diabetes are at slightly higher risk of infection.
In most cases, infection is acquired by inhaling fungal spores, but it can also be contracted through injuries sustained while gardening.
“This is not uncommon in horticulture, sometimes they'll get injured and soil will get into their body through some kind of puncture wound,” Prof Slavin said.
“It can cause a fungal infection.”
Can wearing a mask protect me from fungal infections?
“For most people, gloves, good shoes and covering your skin will be enough,” says Professor Slavin. [protection]Yes, it's true. Unless you're working with potting soil or compost, [in which case] I don't think it's unreasonable to wear a mask.”
Fungal infections are rare, but you can reduce your risk by taking precautions while gardening, says Professor Slavin. (Doherty Institute)
She said the chances of a healthy person contracting mucormycosis from gardening were “highly unlikely.”
“Healthy people most often become infected after an accident that punctures the skin or after inhaling large amounts of the toxin. [spores from] “The soil,” she says.
“Day-to-day gardening activities probably don't pose a significant risk.”
Professor Slavin explains that it's important for people with weakened immune systems to take extra care when handling potting mix, compost, soil or other garden products that contain decaying organic matter.
She recommends wearing protective shoes, gloves and other clothing, as well as an effective face mask such as an N95, which filters spores.
What are the chances of catching a fungal infection while gardening?
Prof Slavin said there wasn't enough data on the number of mucormycosis cases, and it was not known how many cases were caused by exposure to spores in potting soil or compost.
“We have a study from a few years ago that looked at 15 different hospitals in Australia over a period of about five years,” she says.
“A large teaching hospital might see five cases. [of mucormycosis] Annually — Not very common.
“It's probably the second most common fungus. The first is Aspergillus. We may see four to five times as many cases of Aspergillus as we do of mucormycosis.”
Fungal infections can be harder to treat and harder to diagnose than bacterial infections, she adds. In many cases, mucormycosis infections can be life-threatening and require urgent treatment.
“They get into blood vessels and tissues, which can cause blockages and lead to tissue death,” she says.
“In fact, they prefer to grow on dying tissue. They're very clever in that they can get into the body, kill tissue, and then live on that dying tissue.”
“There is no one-size-fits-all treatment and treatment is long-term. As well as anti-fungal treatment, surgery is often required to remove areas of dead tissue and reduce the fungal burden in the tissue.”
“We often treat patients for periods ranging from a few weeks to a few months, sometimes longer.”
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