A Deadly Mold That Attacks the Brain Is on the Rise, and Scientists Aren’t Sure Why

A seldom seen but often deadly mold that attacks people’s brains seems to be causing more trouble as of late.

Scientists at the University of Washington and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied lab-confirmed reports of the fungus Cladophialophora bantiana. There has been a noticeable increase in detected cases over the past decade, the researchers found, particularly since 2023. Though these infections still appear to be rare, there is very little we clearly understand about the fungus, the…