David Clark 
Very Brief History of Fungal Contamination of Our Foodstock, A 

This is the e Book version of the printed book.

This Element is an excerpt from Germs, Genes, & Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today (9780137019960) by David P. Clark. Available in print and digital formats.

Fungal diseases and historical catastrophe: the Irish Potato Famine and beyond.

During the Middle Ages, fungal infections took a steady, continual toll rather than appearing occasionally in virulent epidemics. They rarely caused specific catastrophes but provided the backdrop to daily life–and death. Nonetheless, fungal diseases have sometimes caused historical catastrophes by destroying crops. The best-known case is the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-50….