A recent FOIA to XX produced several thousands hits for papers. Roquefort, cephalosporin, and ringworm provide examples. Fungi from the genus Fusarium , growing on barley, corn, oats, rye, or wheat, produce dozens of derivatives of tetracyclic sesquiterpenes called trichothecenes. The best known of these are nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, and T-2 toxin. Bread inadvertently made from Fusarium -infected wheat killed thousands of Russian civilians after World War II, focusing attention on the chemistry of the trichothecenes.
Fungi apparently use trichothecenes to enhance their infective attack on their plant hosts.
These fungal virulence factors also easily lend themselves to military applications. Diacetoxyscirpenol T2 toxin Trichothecenes are an attractive warfare agent because they may enter the body either by way of the skin, by inhalation, or by ingestion. If used, trichothecenes would be deployed in an aerosol. Preparation requires no great chemical wizardry. Vomiting and bleeding an effective means of incapacitating troops and civilians result from mild mycotoxicosis.