The new algae, Prototheca cutis, was discovered after scientists analyzed skin samples from a Japanese hospital patient, who had developed an ulcer as a result of the algae infection.

The researchers suspect P. cutis is found in soil and water everywhere on Earth, except Antarctica. Because the tiny organism is hardy enough to survive antiseptic treatments, such as chlorination, it thrives in sewage water and household waste—especially in rural areas.

The Japanese patient, who was successfully treated, is the only known P. cutis victim.

But study leader Koichi Makimura, a medical mycologist at Tokyo's Teiko University, suspects that the newfound species acts much like related types of harmful microalgae—single-celled organisms found in waters worldwide.

If so, P.