Direct and indirect threats imposed by plant pathogenic and saprophytic fungi on humans and animals.

Abstract

Fungi play an important role in our life. Several species of fungi act as biocontrol agents, antibiotic producers, and waste material decomposers. On the other hand, several harmful fungi cause problems by attacking plants, humans, and animals, while others can spoil our food. Fungi attacking plants result in various diseases in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits, which could result in either mild reduction in the yield or complete loss of a crop. There are also some fungal species that reside inside the plant tissues without causing diseases (endophytes) and others that survive as saprophytes on plant leaves, stems, or roots without causing damage to plants. Considerable knowledge and reviews have been generated on the effects of plant pathogenic fungi on plants’ survival and yield. Although some studies indicated the possible effects of plant fungi on humans and animals, there is a lack of a comprehensive review on this aspect. This review paper discusses the direct and indirect effects of plant pathogenic and saprophytic fungal species on humans and animals.