Recently, the proverbial “global train” seems to be off its rails.
In the United States, a deadly superbug skin fungus, known as Candida aueris, has so far spread to 23 states and infected thousands. Bless its little heart, but Candida aueris refuses to behave like most skin fungi, instead choosing to dig deep down into the hair follicles of its host. Taking “mi casa es su casa” a little too close to heart, C. aueris settles in, hoodwinking the skin’s immune system, causing it to ignore the fungus among it while secretly replicating inside its host like rabbits on spring break. Once the fungus establishes a veritable cult of clones, it then branches out into the bloodstream of its host, resulting in a cascading avalanche of illness and infection. We really do have extra cause for worry here, because according to the CDC, good ‘ol C. aueris is an “urgent microbial threat” due to some strains of the fungus being completely immune to all currently known fungal treatments. As per usual, the superbug poses the most risk of being life threatening for the immunocompromised and the elderly.
Leave it to the great state of Florida to resurrect a disease widely known for its connection with biblical plague; leprosy is on the rise across the panhandle state. The Florida Department of Public Health reported 19 cases so far this year, but to be fair, in 2025, the state actually reported far more, a total of 39. Most of the cases this year of leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, seem to be centered around Central Florida and health officials are urging caution as when the condition is left untreated, it can lead to severe nerve damage, among other maladies, and can lie dormant within the human body for up to twenty years before signs of the bacteria exposure manifest.
Buzzing about Florida, the beaches of South Carolina, areas of North Carolina, etc., is the deadly West Nile virus. Spread by mosquito bite, there is no treatment for the virus, which in severe cases can lead to death most commonly due to swelling and inflammation of the brain.
Not to be outdone, New York saw everyone else’s misery, had a chuckle, and raised the stakes to Bourbon virus. Far from getting anyone drunk, the horrific and misleadingly named virus is untreatable, potentially fatal, and brought to you by those creepy, crawly demon spawns I previously warned you about: ticks! People magazine reports the Bourbon Virus was first discovered in 2014 and has been found in areas of the Midwest, the East Coast, and also the Southern U.S.
I have to say, I stay pretty up to date on all the fresh hell wrought by ticks, because clearly someone has to, and so I am just not buying this discovered in 2014 stuff, nope, I’m going to have to facetiously call bullhonkey on this one!
Over in Louisiana, they are rolling up their sleeves and contracting a flesh eating virus called Vibrio Vulnificus. Nine people have become infected and five have died. All the patients are reported to have had underlying health conditions and may have caught the bacteria from coming in contact with coastal waters via swimming with an open wound, or consuming seafood laced with the bacteria. Statistically, one in five infected individuals will die from Vibrio Vulnificus each year.
Let’s talk about our tainted food supply. Just what is going on with the FDA?
Currently, I understand there are recalls on bacon, pork, eggs, lettuce, fruit, vegetables, jalapenos, cheese, bread, Pumpkin Tree fruit pouches, ect.; I’m probably leaving something out because honestly it is enough to make any shopper’s head spin! I am starting to wonder what is safe to eat.
The reasons for these recalls range from deadly bacteria, salmonella concerns, and plaster mysteriously entering the final product, among other undesirable reasons.
Meanwhile, the European Union has been banning American produced chicken since 1997 owing to the fact our FDA and USDA approves its receiving a chemical bath before it ever reaches our plates in the form of microbial rinses. In Europe, the whole approach to meat preparation and safety is inherently different from ours, focusing on safety and cleanliness throughout the entire process rather than a last rites dousing in the sanitation tub before packaging and distribution. It’s no secret lots of American foods are deemed unsafe in other countries, generally due to manufacturers’ questionable usages of chemicals and unnecessary color additives, but our yard bird too?
I’m not going to say these plagues haven’t been with us, but I am going to question why there is such an unusually high number of strange, hard to pronounce, often deadly, and, in some cases, seemingly preventable illnesses, viruses, and bacterias suddenly invading our food and water sources/ biting and sucking our blood.
All this is going on while the battle over flock cameras and data centers rages on, the pentagon is reporting our defence capabilities are depleted, a chunk of the world is at war, aliens might be real and have possibly been breeding with us for years, record shattering in intensity earthquakes are shaking the globe almost daily, flooding, the government says Iran is in our water systems, and an army of millions of locusts descended on Russia in recent days, blotting out the sun.
Last but not least, practically half the country is on fire. At the time of writing, 97 large fires are currently burning across the nation, and landmarks like the Timberline Lodge, the hotel featured in the movie the Shining, and Area 51 [suspiciously] are in danger of being consumed by the flames.
Is it all just business as usual or is something more going on?