We do seem to have entered the realm of some weird sci-fi series of late. The case of two Chinese scientists arrested for allegedly smuggling a lethal fungus into the USA boggles the mind. The use of the expression “agroterrorism weapon” is a new one too.
There is no doubt that Fusarium graminearum is a dangerous pathogen. It infects cereal crops, leading to shrivelled grains and yield loss. In some cases, it can make livestock and humans sick through mycotoxin contamination. Yet, as scientists point out, the fungus is already endemic in the United States – and has been for more than a century. It is also widespread in the UK and Europe.
In the strange new world that we do live in it is useful to suspend one’s belief and hold out on judgement until all the facts are in.
Is this like a bad prequel episode of The Last of Us, or just more hyperbolic hokum? Who knows?
