In a bizarre case in China, a man with a habit of smelling his own socks was hospitalized with a severe lung infection.
Doctors say the man with the surname Peng from China’s south-east Fujian province received medical care after complaining about coughs and chest pains. But after a week, he was admitted to a hospital in Zhangzhou when his condition took a turn for the worse.
His x-ray confirmed that he was suffering from a pulmonary fungal disease—a disease caused by inhaling fungi in their natural habitat.
Mai added that fungal spores could spread quickly in the socks and footwear for people who suffer from athlete’s foot—a fungal infection that often appears in between the toes. She did not mention whether the man had athlete’s foot.
According to Pear Video, Peng was recovering in hospital.
The organization said that the best way to prevent fungal infections was to avoid activities that expose individuals to fungi. They added that antifungal medication is usually only recommended for patients with severely weakened immune systems.