Fungi may be the next big threat to human health.

Fungi may be the next big threat to human health. While most of our encounters with fungi are more a nuisance, such as moldy food, fungal epidemics are playing a big role in our lives behind the scenes. Currently, 125 million tons of the top five food crops are lost each year to fungal disease, North American bats are threatened by a fungus causing white-nose syndrome, and around the world, frogs are in peril from chytrid fungus. In the 10 August issue, Kupferschmidt reviews the potential dangers associated with fungal disease.