A routine lab check on used hypodermic needles in Ohio turned up more than fentanyl and stimulants. Researchers also found live fungal pathogens and a hefty presence of xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that keeps creeping into the illicit drug supply. The mix adds a troubling, and often overlooked, layer of risk for people who inject drugs and for clinicians trying to treat overdoses and stubborn wound infections.
According to PLOS One, scientists washed and chemically screened 50 used syringes collected through the Toledo–Lucas County syringe‑exchange and detected 27 different psychoactive substances overall. On average, each syringe contained nearly eight different compounds. The team also cultured microbes from more than 100 syringes and identified both bacterial and fungal organisms among the isolates.
Needles Held More Than Drugs
Bowling Green State University researchers who led the work report that many syringes carried a cocktail of drugs, and that the powerful sedative xylazine showed up in a striking share of samples. In a university statement, BGSU researchers said roughly 86% of the needles they analyzed contained xylazine. Lab work also recovered Candida species from multiple syringes, a twist that surprised investigators who were not necessarily expecting live fungal pathogens.
Xylazine Adds a New Set of Harms
Xylazine is not an opioid, which makes an already dangerous drug supply even trickier. The sedative can deepen respiratory depression and cause severe skin necrosis that leads to gaping wounds and secondary infections, complicating both overdose response and wound care. Cleveland Clinic notes that naloxone may reverse the opioid part of a mixed overdose but does not counteract the sedative effects of xylazine.
Even without this added twist, overdose deaths remain staggering. Preliminary government data indicate that roughly 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2025, based on provisional counts from the CDC.
Fungal Infections Are a Hidden, Hard‑to‑Treat Risk
The PLOS One team isolated multiple Candida strains identified as Candida parapsilosis from syringe contents. The authors warn that this yeast can cause serious bloodstream infections that are notoriously difficult to treat.
They also note that there are only three major antifungal drug classes available, and rising resistance already limits effective options for the most severe infections. In other words, if a hard‑to‑treat fungus gets in through injection use, there may not be many good medicines left to knock it out.
Researchers Found a Possible Lead and Flag Limits
There was one glimmer of potential good news. In lab tests, the team identified soil‑derived Pseudomonas bacteria that appeared to inhibit Candida growth, a finding the researchers say could eventually point to new antifungal compounds.
BGSU emphasized that the work is early‑stage and based on samples from a single region, so it comes with built‑in limits. The authors call for broader surveillance to see how widespread these risks really are.
Federal numbers show why that call matters. Fungal diseases already exact a steady toll in the United States, with roughly 7,300 deaths, 130,000 hospitalizations and 13 million outpatient visits every year, according to the CDC.
What This Means Locally
Local health officials and harm‑reduction groups say the findings raise the stakes for syringe‑service programs and for on‑the‑ground testing that can flag unknown adulterants and early wound infections. As reported by Cleveland.com, Toledo‑area partners and public‑health leaders are weighing expanded outreach and more robust wound‑care referrals for people who inject drugs. The goal is straightforward, if not simple: keep a dangerous supply from turning every shot into a bacterial and fungal gamble.
