New Delhi, June 5 -- The recent arrest of Chinese researchers for illegally smuggling Fusarium graminearum, a dangerous crop-killing fungus, into the United States has brought renewed focus on the risks this pathogen poses-not only to agriculture but also to human and animal health. The case highlights fears that unauthorised import and research on such fungi could be part of a larger threat to America's food security and public safety, raising alarms amid tense US-China relations.

Fusarium graminearum is a fungal pathogen responsible for Fusarium head blight, a devastating disease affecting major cereal crops like wheat, barley, maize, and rice. While its direct impact on crops results in massive agricultural losses-estimated at over $1...